Senator Natasha Files petition at LPDC for Imasuen’s Disbarment

Allnews Nigeria reports that suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has filed a petition before the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee, seeking the disbarment of Senator Nedamwen Bernards Imasuen from the Nigerian Bar. The petition accuses Imasuen of professional misconduct, alleging that he was previously disbarred from the New York Bar for fraud, misappropriation of client funds, and failure to respond to disciplinary authorities.

According to the petition, the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division, permanently disbarred Imasuen on May 10, 2010, following a complaint from a client, Daphne Slyfield, who accused him of misappropriating legal fees. Despite this, Akpoti-Uduaghan alleges that Imasuen relocated to Nigeria, continued presenting himself as a legal practitioner, and ventured into politics, eventually becoming the Senator representing Edo South Senatorial District and Chair of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions.

The petition further claims that Imasuen failed to disclose his disbarment in his FORM EC-9 submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) before contesting for office. Akpoti-Uduaghan’s legal action comes amid her six-month suspension from the Senate, which she argues was orchestrated by Imasuen despite a court order restraining the Ethics Committee from investigating her. She alleges that the committee disregarded the order and proceeded with its inquiry, leading to her suspension.

In her petition, she accuses Imasuen of contempt of court, referencing Rule 31 of the Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners, which mandates that lawyers must respect the court. She also claims that he displayed procedural bias by dismissing her sexual harassment petition against Senate President Godswill Akpabio on technical grounds while actively pursuing disciplinary measures against her.

Akpoti-Uduaghan asserts that Imasuen’s actions constitute professional misconduct under Rule 74(1) of the Rules of Professional Conduct, warranting his removal from the Roll of Barristers and Solicitors of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. The Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee is expected to review the petition, a move that could spark legal and political debates regarding the ethical obligations of public officials who are also members of the legal profession.