SUSPENDED Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has petitioned the Legal Practitioners’ Disciplinary Committee (LPDC), calling for an investigation into Edo lawmaker Neda Imasuen.
She accuses him of disobeying a court ruling and concealing his criminal past, including a New York disbarment, from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Her petition, received Monday, references a Peoples Gazette report that revealed Imasuen lost his law licence in May 2010 for allegedly misappropriating client funds. She claims he failed to disclose this on his INEC EC-9 Form, depriving Nigerians of crucial information.
Despite his past, Imasuen now chairs the Senate Ethics Committee, a role Akpoti-Uduaghan says demands “unimpeachable integrity.” She also accuses him of ignoring a court order that protected her from Senate disciplinary actions.
On 5 March, Justice Obiora Egwuatu barred the Senate from penalising her. However, Imasuen dismissed the ruling, insisting the legislature was independent. The next day, he recommended her six-month suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan argues this violates legal ethics, which require respect for court rulings. Reports also allege Imasuen was linked to a major U.S. bank fraud before relocating to Nigeria for politics.
Eighteen-Eleven Media