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A group representing Nigerian non-litigation lawyers has approached the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, seeking an order to suspend the 2026 Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, conferment exercise.

The legal action represents the latest chapter in the ongoing dispute between non-litigation lawyers operating under the Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners, ALDRAP, and the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, together with its Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee, LPPC, over the introduction of the Blue Silks rank by ALDRAP as an alternative to the SAN designation.

ALDRAP and its Executive Director, Dr Tonye Clinton Jaja, had earlier instituted an action before the Federal High Court in Abuja to prevent the NBA and the LPPC from interfering with the Blue Silks rank, which was designed as an alternative recognition for non-litigation practitioners.

The association later approached the Court of Appeal after Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court granted a perpetual injunction restraining it from conferring the Blue Silks rank.

In the suit filed before the National Industrial Court of Nigeria on June 25, 2026, ALDRAP argued that the publication of the list of 89 candidates shortlisted for the SAN rank by the LPPC was inappropriate because the subject matter remains pending before the appellate court.

Named as respondents in the suit are the Chairman of the Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee, LPPC, Mr Kabir Akanbi, the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court of Nigeria and Secretary of the LPPC, as well as the LPPC itself.

The action was instituted by ALDRAP through its counsel, M. Attah, Esq.

The association is asking the court to grant several reliefs, including a declaration that the publication titled ‘2026 SAN Conferment Exercise Shortlisted Candidates’ issued by the LPPC on June 23, 2026, is unconstitutional, unlawful, and beyond the powers of the respondents, “having regard to the fact that the subject matter of the conferment ranks on Nigerian legal practitioners is currently sub-judice and pending before the Court of Appeal”.

The plaintiff is equally requesting the court to declare that the respondents, having already filed an appeal in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/421/2026, cannot legally continue with the 2026 SAN conferment exercise until the appeal is determined.

ALDRAP also urged the court to declare that the existing criteria governing the SAN rank under Sections 4 and 5 of the Legal Practitioners Act 1962, as well as the 2023 Guidelines for the Conferment of the Rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria, are discriminatory and violate Section 42 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.

According to the association, the guidelines exclude other categories of legal practitioners, including arbitrators and mediators recognised under the Arbitration and Mediation Act, 2023, as well as legislative drafting lawyers under the National Assembly Service Commission Act, 2014.

The association further asked the court to hold that the failure of the LPPC to inform the 89 shortlisted applicants that the issue of legal ranks is currently before the courts amounts to material non-disclosure, misleading representation, and unfair trade practice under the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission Act, 2018.

ALDRAP also contended that the N5 million application fee imposed on the applicants, without disclosure of the pending litigation, violates Section 88 of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission Act, 2018, describing it as an unreasonable pricing arrangement.

Among the additional reliefs sought is an order nullifying the publication titled ‘2026 SAN Conferment Exercise Shortlisted Candidates’ released on June 23, 2026, together with every action and process arising from it.

The association also asked the court to direct the LPPC to refund the N5 million application fee paid by each of the 89 applicants.

In addition, ALDRAP wants the court to restrain the respondents from taking further actions relating to the 2026 SAN exercise pending the determination of the appeal before the Court of Appeal.

The National Industrial Court of Nigeria was also urged to direct the LPPC to limit the conferment of the Senior Advocate of Nigeria rank strictly to litigation lawyers in accordance with Sections 4 and 5 of the Legal Practitioners Act, 1962.

The association further requested that practitioners in non-litigation fields, including arbitration, mediation, and legislative drafting, be allowed to establish and confer their own professional honours and awards in line with the Labour Act, 1974.

ALDRAP additionally asked the court to award N10 million in costs against the respondents jointly and severally.

In explaining the basis of the suit, the association stated that it possesses the legal standing to institute the action because its members are directly affected by the respondents’ actions and remain excluded from the SAN conferment process on what it described as discriminatory grounds.

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