BREAKING: Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan Petitions for Disbarment of Senate Ethics Chair Over Fraud Allegations

The Senator representing Kogi Central at the National Assembly, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has commenced moves to see the disbarment of the Chairman, Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions, Senator NedamwemImasuen, over allegations bordering on fraud and disobedience of court’s order.

The move was contained in a petition she filed at the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) last week.

In the petition dated March 20 and submitted before the LPDC on March 24, the KogiSenator is specifically seeking sanction against Imasuen if found culpable of the above allegations.

Akpoti-Uduaghan in the petition claimed that the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division, had previously found Imasuen guilty of fraud, misappropriation of client funds, and failure to comply with disciplinary authorities.

She stated that the Senator representing Edo South Senatorial District was disbarred in the United States on May 10, 2010.

To support her claims, she submitted a copy of the Justia New York Case Law 2010 to the LPDC and promised to provide more evidence during the hearing.

Akpoti-Uduaghan explained that Imasuen’s disbarment stemmed from a complaint by a client, Daphne Slyfield, who accused him of abandoning her case after collecting substantial legal fees without rendering legal services.

While noting that the US court found Imasuen guilty of multiple violations of professional ethics and permanently revoked his law license, the suspended senator further claimed that after Imasuen’s disbarment, he returned to Nigeria and continued to present himself as a lawyer.

“He did not disclose his disbarment either in his Form EC-9 be submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) while contesting for office and eventually became the senator representing Edo South Senatorial District.

It was her submission that the Edo Senator’s history of professional misconduct makes him unfit to chair the Senate Ethics Committee, a position that requires unquestionable integrity.

Similarly, Akpoti-Uduaghan sought further sanction against Imasuen for disobeying an order of a Federal High Court, Abuja, which had restrained his committee from investigating her over alleged misconduct at the Senate plenary last February.

The order by Justice Obiora Egwuatu was issued on March 4, while the committee recommended her suspension for six months, a day after they were restrained by the court.

Among exhibits she submitted in support of her petition included, “A copy of the video showing the Respondent openly disregarding the Orders of a court of competent jurisdiction under reference along with the Certificate of Compliance with Section 84 of the Evidence Act is herein annexed as Exhibit NATASHA 6”.

She testified that, “the Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions Committee led by the Respondent proceeded, in blatant disobedience of the said ex-parte order, to conduct its investigation on March 5, 2025 regarding my alleged misconduct during the Senate plenary session of 20 February 2025.

“That in a concerning display of procedural bias, the same Senate committee on Ethics, Privilege and Public Petitions Chaired by the Respondent proceeded with the purported investigation and recommended me for sanctions.

“That the Senate committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions chaired by the Respondent in blatant disregard for the Orders of Court of competent Jurisdiction subsequently submitted its report on findings of its investigation and reported to the committee of a whole of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on March 6, 2025 purporting to suspend me from the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for a duration of 6 months without any of my privilege”.

Akpoti-Uduaghan submitted that “this blatant disobedience of a binding and subsisting court order under a misguided belief constitutes contempt of court and a clear violation of legal ethics, as enshrined in Rule 31 of the Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners 2023, which mandates that a lawyer shall always treat the Court with respect, dignity, and honour.

“That I know that the comment by the Respondent that “We do not actually pay much reference to this order that came” does not depict respect for the court and the judiciary as whole”.

The suspended senator stated that Rule 1 of the Rules of Professional Conduct, 2023 mandates that a lawyer shall uphold and observe the rule of the law, promote and foster the course of justice, maintain a high standard of professional conduct and shall not engage in any conduct which is unbecoming of a Legal Practitioner.

According to her, Imasuen as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privilege and Public Petitions, presided over proceedings involving her after she lodged a petition alleging sexual harassment against the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.

“Rather than ensuring a fair and impartial inquiry into the matter, the committee dismissed the petition on procedural grounds, declaring it “dead on arrival” due to the fact I personally signed same and the fact that the matter was sub judice.

“In a concerning display of procedural bias, the Respondent as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privilege and Public Petitions proceeded to entertain a petition, investigate and ultimately sanction me for alleged misconduct, culminating in my six-month suspension from the Senate after acknowledging the existence of an order of court.

“The suspension, which took effect on March 6 2025, included the withdrawal of my salary, allowances, security aides, and access to Senate premises.

“This disciplinary action was taken despite a subsisting interim court order from the Federal High Court, Abuja Judicial Division (Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/384/25), restraining the Senate and its Committee on Ethics, Privilege and Public Petitions from proceeding with any investigation against me pending the determination of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction.

“The committee, under Senator Imasuen’s leadership, explicitly acknowledged receipt of the court order but chose to disregard it, on grounds of a misguided belief that the National Assembly is not subject to legislative supervision by the Judiciary.

“This blatant defiance of a binding order of court constitutes contempt of court and a clear violation of Rules of Professional Conduct, as enshrined in Rule 31 of the Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners (2023)”.