Suspended Kogi Central lawmaker, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has filed a petition before the Senate Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee, seeking the disbarment of Senator Bernard Imasuen from the Nigerian Bar.
In the petition she filed on Monday, the embattled Akpoti-Uduaghan cited allegations of professional misconduct against Imasuen following an earlier disbarment against him by the New York Bar for alleged fraud, misappropriation of client funds, and failure to respond to disciplinary authorities.
According to Akpoti-Uduaghan, Imasuen was permanently disbarred by the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Second Department, on May 10, 2010, following a complaint by Daphne Slyfield, a client who accused him of misappropriating legal fees and such, should also be disbarred in Nigeria.
The petition stated that the New York Supreme Court had found Imasuen guilty of multiple breaches of professional conduct, leading to the revocation of his legal license in the United States.
She argued that despite his disbarment, Imasuen relocated to Nigeria and continued presenting himself as a legal practitioner while venturing into politics and was eventually elected as the Senator representing Edo South Senatorial District and appointed Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions, a role requiring unimpeachable integrity.
She further stated that Imasuen had failed to disclose his disbarment in his FORM EC-9 – Particulars of Personal Information submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) before contesting for public office which makes his position as a Senator null and void.
Akpoti-Uduaghan described Imasuen’s actions as contempt of court, citing Rule 31 of the Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners (2023), which mandates that lawyers must always treat the court with respect, dignity, and honour.
She further accused him of procedural bias, stating that he dismissed her petition alleging sexual harassment against Senate President Godswill Akpabio on procedural grounds, while actively pursuing disciplinary action against her.
Recall that Imasuen was one of the leading senators who orchestrated Akpoti-Uduaghan’s six-month suspension from the Senate following her altercation with Senate President Godswill Akpabio which she claimed was carried out despite a court order restricting the Red Chamber from suspending her.
Before vacating its order, the Federal High Court in Abuja, had on March 4, issued an interim order restraining the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions from proceeding with an investigation against her regarding alleged misconduct during a Senate plenary session on February 20.
But despite being served the court order on March 5,, Imasuen as the Committee Chairman, had proceeded with the investigation, leading to Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension on March 6.
In her petition, Akpoti-Uduaghan argued that Imasuen’s defiance of a subsisting court order and his unethical conduct violate Rule 1 of the Rules of Professional Conduct (2023), which mandates lawyers to uphold the rule of law and maintain high professional standards.
She also argued that under Rule 74(1) of the RPC, 2023, Imasuen’s actions constitute professional misconduct, warranting his removal from the Roll of Barristers and Solicitors of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
