Kogi Central Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has petitioned the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) to investigate her colleague, Edo South Senator Neda Imasuen, over his alleged disbarment from practising law in the United States.

Mrs. Akpoti-Uduaghan also accused Mr. Imasuen of disobeying a court order restraining the Senate Ethics Privileges and Public Petitions Committee which he chairs from investigating her for alleged misconduct during the February 20 plenary.

PREMIUM TIMES had reported that Imasuen, a trained lawyer and member of the Labour Party (LP), was permanently barred from practising law in the United States by the Supreme Court of New York.

The disbarment was specifically based on allegations that Imasuen abandoned a legal matter after receiving payment from a client, Daphne Slyfield.

Following a petition by Slyfield, a judicial grievance committee found Imasuen guilty of professional misconduct, including misappropriation of client funds and failure to respond to disciplinary authorities.

As a result, an order was issued on May 11, 2010, to revoke Imasuen’s legal licence in New York.

Despite this, Imasuen allegedly concealed his disbarment while pursuing a political career in Nigeria before he got elected into the Senate and appointed chairman of the ethics committee, a role that demands high ethical standards.

In her petition, Akpoti-Uduaghan argued that Imasuen failed to disclose his disbarment in official documents, including his FORM EC-9 submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

She expressed concern regarding the omission, arguing that it showed Imasuen does not have the eligibility to hold a position that requires “unimpeachable integrity.”

In the petition, Akpoti-Uduaghan said, “That despite this disbarment which was hinged on unethical conduct, the respondent failed to disclose this sanction both in the legal profession and political space, as a senator and was eventually made the chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions, a position requiring unimpeachable integrity.

“That the respondent did not remotely disclose his disbarment either in his FORM EC-9-Particulars of Personal information submitted to INEC on oath.”

She also submitted a report from People’s Gazette detailing Imasuen’s disbarment and a U.S. court document confirming his disbarment as exhibits.

Beyond the disbarment issue, Akpoti-Uduaghan also accused Imasuen of contempt of court for disregarding a judicial order.

She stated that on March 4, 2025, the Federal High Court in Abuja issued an interim order restraining the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions from investigating her over alleged misconduct during a plenary session on February 20.

Despite receiving the court order on March 5, 2025, she said Imasuen proceeded with the investigation where the committee recommended her six-month suspension from the Senate.

She argued that this act defied the authority of the judiciary and violated the principle of the rule of law.

However, Justice Obiora Egwuatu, a judge of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has vacated his earlier order stopping the investigation after considering arguments from both parties in the suit.

Akpoti-Uduaghan, however, didn’t mention this in her petition to the LPDC.