Non-litigation lawyers in the country now have an alternative to the Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, rank, which is conferred on legal practitioners who are judged to have demonstrated exceptional distinction in legal practice.

The SAN rank, conferred on lawyers by the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee, LPPC, is seen as the most prestigious honour in the legal profession in Nigeria. Recipients are lawyers selected for excelling in advocacy, scholarship or public service.

However, the Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners, ALDRAP, has moved to provide an alternative by announcing that it would confer the title of “Senior Counsel of Nigeria, SCN, and other Blue Silks ranks upon non-litigation Nigerian lawyers”.

ALDRAP executive director Dr. Tonye Clinton Jaja, in a statement made on Tuesday, said the award ceremony will come up on 18th December 2025.

“At last non-litigation Nigerian lawyers have an alternative to Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) rank,” the statement said.

The Blue Silk ranks are in three categories – Senior Counsel of Nigeria, SCN, Senior Legislative Counsel of Nigeria, SELCON, and Senior Legal Academic, SLA.

Despite opposition from mainstream legal authorities, Jaja noted that the Blue Silk honours are legitimate and backed by Section 40 of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution, as well as other relevant laws and two lawsuits.

“The Blue Silks rank that our Association, ALDRAP, is promoting is not illegal. It has the backing of two primary legislation and two lawsuits and one subsidiary legislation (Guidelines made pursuant to the National Assembly Service Act, 2014).

“Just as the late Gani Fawehinmi, SAN, sued the NBA, our Association, ALDRAP, has also sued the NBA. (see Chief Gani Fawehinmi v Nigerian Bar Association & 4 Others (No 1) (S.C. 229/1986) [1989] NGSC 10 (13 April 1989).

“The Blue Silks rank investiture is a legal, legitimate exercise and enjoys the backing of Section 40 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, and the inherent powers to confer ranks upon the members of Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners, ALDRAP, an incorporated trustee under the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 2020,” the statement said.

The Blue Silk rank is the subject of two pending lawsuits. In suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/2547/2025, the Federal High Court, Abuja, is considering an application in which ALDRAP is seeking a perpetual injunction against the NBA to stop meddling in the Blue Silks rank investiture ceremony.

In another lawsuit (FHC/ABJ/CS/2594/2025), ALDRAP asked the Federal High Court, Abuja, to order the Nigerian President and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, FCCPC, to break the monopoly of the NBA as regards fixing of prices of legal goods and services under Section 88 of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission Act, 2018.

Jaja noted that the lawsuits were not mentioned by either the NBA President and General-Secretary in a communique issued after a National Executive Committee, NEC, meeting on 20th November 2025, in Benin City.

The statement added that the Blue Silks investiture is also backed by received common law and legislative tradition of the United Kingdom Parliament of a Register of Legislative lawyers since the year 1869, the register of Nigerian non-litigation lawyers who provide legislative drafting and allied legal services to the legislatures (Register of Blue Silks) pursuant to inherent powers of ALDRAP under both Section 40 of the Nigerian Constitution and the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 2020 under which ALDRAP is incorporated, as well as Section 19(1) of the National Assembly Service Commission Act, 2014.

Meanwhile, those shortlisted for the Blue Silks investiture include a former Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly, David Iorhemba; Dr Eric Omo Enajireru, of the Faculty of Law, University of Delta; a former vice chairman, NBA, Gwagwalada branch, David Aighefoh; Dr. Tonye Clinton Jaja, Clerk, House of Representatives, National Assembly, Abuja, Yahaya Danzaria; Dr. Chibuzor Sunday Okeke; and Chief Okoi Ofem Obono-Obla.

Others are Mrs Adetoun Simisola Akwaraneu, Ibe Eric Chigozie, Prof Timothy Olagbemiro, Dr Dahiru Aliyu, Ambassador Dr Duru Haliru, Head Diplomatic Mission, IHRC in Nigeria, Dr Grace Perpetual Dafiel, Sunday Aigbogun, Henry Chinkere-Nwogu and Finian Eze Ndukwu.

The statement urged Nigerian lawyers to apply for the Blue Silks rank, stressing that it is legal and legitimate.

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