After Akpabio: Natasha Begins Fight With Another Senator, Reason Emerges

• Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has written a petition against the chairman of the Senate committee on ethics, privileges and public petitions, Senator Nedamwen Bernards Imasuen
• The suspended Kogi senator, in a fresh petition before the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC), asked the committee to disbar Imasuen over alleged misconduct
• Imasuen would be the second senator in the National Assembly. Natasha would be officially engaging in a public rift after Senate President Godswill Akpabio

FCT, Abuja - Embattled Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has submitted a fresh petition before the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC), asking the committee to disbar the chairman of the Senate committee on ethics, privileges and public petitions, Senator Nedamwen Bernards Imasuen.

The petition alleges professional misconduct, specifically highlighting Imasuen's past disbarment from the New York Bar in 2010 for fraud, misappropriation of client funds, and failure to respond to disciplinary authorities.

Natasha shares how Imasuen was disbarred in US

Tribune reported that Natasha claimed that Imasuen was disbarred following a complaint by his former client, Daphne Slyfield, who accused him of misappropriating legal fees. Despite this, Imasuen allegedly continued to practice law in Nigeria and pursued a career in politics, eventually becoming a senator.

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Akpoti-Uduaghan argued that Imasuen failed to disclose his disbarment in his legal and political careers, including in his documents submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The petition also challenged Imasuen's handling of a court order related to Akpoti-Uduaghan's suspension, accusing him of contempt. Imasuen had allegedly defied a court order stopping his committee from proceeding with disciplinary action against Akpoti-Uduaghan, leading to her six-month suspension.

Natasha's petition seeks to have Imasuen disbarred from the Nigerian Bar, citing his alleged professional misconduct and failure to disclose his past disbarment. The LPDC will review the petition and determine the appropriate course of action.

The case has sparked interest in the legal and political communities, with many watching to see how the LPDC will handle the petition. The outcome could have significant implications for Imasuen's career and the integrity of the Nigerian Bar.

Imasuen admits to practising law in the US

While Senator Imasuen has not debunked or confirmed Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan's allegations, checks by Legit.ng indicate that the Nigerian legislator indeed practised law in the United States before returning to the country.

According to the information on his official website, Senator Imasuen's "professional journey began in New York, where he practiced law and served as a public advocate for several years."

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The lawmaker is a first-term senator representing Edo South district in the 10th National Assembly on the platform of the Labour Party (LP).

Imasuen began his education at St. Thomas Catholic School in Ogbe, Benin City, and continued his secondary education at Edo Boys High School in the same city. He went on to attend the University of Maiduguri, where he earned a Bachelor of Laws degree and was certified and enrolled as a Solicitor and Advocate of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in 1985. To further his education, he obtained a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Long Island University, Brooklyn Campus, New York, in 2004.

Natasha clashes with Imasuen, Akpabio

Natasha's clash with Senator Imasuen would be the second, as the Kogi senator is currently on a six-month suspension following her confrontation with Senate President Godswill Akpabio over a sitting arrangement.

The embattled senator was subsequently suspended by the Senate over the violation of the Senate rule, but Natasha consistently claimed that her suspension was orchestrated by her allegation that the Senate president was making sexual advances toward her.

However, Akpabio has denied making any sexual advances toward Natasha, while his wife has challenged the allegation in court. Senator Natasha has honed her voice in several media houses and maintained that the Senate was trying to silence her.

The court gives an order on Natasha's recall

Legit.ng earlier reported that Senator Natasha Akpoti Uduaghan's recall process by the constituents of the Kogi Central Senatorial District has been affirmed by the Federal High Court in Lokoja, the state capital.

The court earlier issued an injunction restraining INEC from receiving the petition but reversed it on Friday, March 22.

Recall that Natasha was recently suspended in the Senate for violating the Senate's standing rules, days after he accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of sexual harassment.

Article updated with more information about Senator Nedamwen Bernards Imasuen by the head of politics/CA desk, Nurudeen Lawal.

Proofreading by Nkem Ikeke, copy editor at Legit.ng.