National Industrial Court of Nigeria asked to stop 2026 SAN conferment exercise
Nigerian Non-Litigation Lawyers Seek to Halt SAN Conferment Process
An association representing Nigerian non-litigation lawyers has filed a lawsuit in the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, seeking to suspend the conferment of the 2026 Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) titles.
The legal action arises from an ongoing dispute involving the Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners (ALDRAP) and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) alongside its Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee (LPPC). ALDRAP contends that the LPPC’s recent introduction of the Blue Silks rank as an alternative to the traditional SAN title infringes on their rights.
ALDRAP, led by Executive Director Dr. Tonye Clinton Jaja, previously sought to prevent the NBA and LPPC from interfering with the Blue Silks rank at the Abuja Federal High Court. However, Justice James Omotosho issued an order restraining ALDRAP from conferring the Blue Silks rank, prompting the association to escalate the matter to the Court of Appeal.
In its latest filing dated June 25, 2026, ALDRAP claims that the LPPC’s announcement of 89 applicants shortlisted for SAN conferment is improper, as the issue is currently subject to litigation.
The respondents in ALDRAP’s case include Mr. Kabir Akanbi, Chairman of the LPPC; the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court of Nigeria; and the LPPC itself. The association is seeking multiple rulings from the court, including a declaration that the LPPC’s June 23 statement regarding the shortlisted candidates is unlawful due to the ongoing legal challenges.
ALDRAP also argues that the LPPC cannot lawfully progress with the 2026 SAN conferment exercise while an appeal in case FHC/ABJ/CS/421/2026 is pending.
Additionally, the association has raised concerns that the current SAN conferment criteria violate Section 42 of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria by excluding non-litigation practitioners, such as arbitrators and legislative drafters, from eligibility.
ALDRAP further requests that the court address the failure of the LPPC to notify the shortlisted applicants about the ongoing litigation, alleging that this constitutes unfair trade practices as outlined in the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission Act of 2018.
The lawsuit also calls for the refund of the N5 million application fee imposed on the SAN applicants, arguing that it is unlawful without disclosing the sub-judicial nature of the proceedings.
In addition to seeking a court order to annul the LPPC’s June 23 statement and related actions, ALDRAP is asking the court to mandate the LPPC to limit SAN conferment strictly to litigation lawyers, allowing other legal professionals to establish their own recognition systems under the Labour Act of 1974.
ALDRAP seeks damages amounting to N10 million against the respondents. The association maintains that it has the legal standing to file this suit, as its members are directly impacted by the LPPC’s decisions and are excluded from the SAN conferment process based on discriminatory criteria.
