Neda Imasuen, the Edo South Senatorial District senator, has defected from the Labour Party (LP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Mr Imasuen, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, Code of Conduct and Public Petitions, announced his resignation in a letter read by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, during the plenary on Wednesday.
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In the letter, the senator attributed his decision to quit the LP to an unresolved leadership crisis within the party, which he claimed had hampered his ability to effectively represent and deliver development to his constituents.
He also noted the importance of aligning with a nationally recognised political platform to ensure that his senatorial district fully benefits from federal opportunities.
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The senator said he engaged in extensive consultations with his supporters before deciding to quit the LP.
After reading the letter, the Senate President congratulated the senator for joining the ruling APC.
Mr Akpabio said the senator’s defection to the ruling party was important to the development of the nation.
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“This is very important to the development of this country,” he said.
Mr Imasuen thereafter exchanged pleasantries with other APC senators before he was led to his new seat at the majority party section of the chamber.
The senator’s defection increases the APC’s presence in the Senate to 69 seats out of 109, consolidating its majority.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) holds 30 seats, the Labour Party now has four, and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) has two seats. The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) hold one seat each.
Currently, the Senate has 107 sitting members following the death of Senator Ifeanyi Ubah (Anambra South) in July and the exit of Monday Okpebholo, who vacated the Edo Central seat after he was elected the state governor in September 2024.
Mr Imasuen’s past legal issues
Mr Imasuen’s defection comes amid public scrutiny over his past legal issues in the United States.
In March, reports in many Nigerian media outlets – broadcast, print and digital media- revealed that the senator had been disbarred from practising law in the US in 2010.
The disbarment followed a petition filed against him by an American client, Daphne Slyfield, who accused him of failing to represent her in a legal matter despite being paid.
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According to documents obtained by PREMIUM TIMES, the Grievance Committee of the Second, Eleventh, and Thirteenth Judicial Districts in New York found that Mr Imasuen did not respond to the petition within the stipulated timeframe, nor did he request an extension. The committee subsequently treated the allegations as established.
A special referee, George Friedman, was assigned to review the case, ultimately leading to Mr Imasuen’s disbarment.
He returned to Nigeria the same year and later worked as a consultant with the European Union’s State Reforming Institutional Programme, serving as Jigawa State coordinator.
After serving in that capacity, he contested the Edo South Senatorial District election and won the seat on the LP ticket..
Meanwhile, Mr Imasuen, as chairperson of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, Code of Conduct and Public Petitions, was also involved in the suspension of the Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who accused the senate president of sexual harassment.
After receiving a report from the Mr Imasuen-led committee, the Senate presided over by Mr Akpabio, suspended Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan for six months over alleged misconduct and refusal to comply with the chambers’ sitting arrangement during the plenary session on 20 February.
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