Fani-Kayode Rejects Nigerian Law Society’s Senior Counsel Honour

Nigeria’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Ambassador Femi Fani-Kayode, has rejected the Senior Counsel of Nigeria (SCN), popularly referred to as the Blue Silk designation, allegedly conferred on him by the Nigerian Law Society (NLS).

In an announcement issued on Friday by means of his Special Assistant on Media, Lizzy Okoji, the previous Minister of Aviation mentioned he neither authorised nor accredited the acceptance of the honour and was formally distancing himself from it.

According to the assertion, Fani-Kayode’s workplace obtained an invite to the occasion, and members of his employees attended on his behalf. However, he maintained that their participation shouldn’t be interpreted as his private acceptance or endorsement of the designation.

He described the state of affairs as the results of an administrative error, stressing that any communication indicating his acceptance of the title was made with out his direct approval and didn’t mirror his place.

Fani-Kayode additionally expressed considerations in regards to the authorized validity of the designation, citing questions surrounding its compliance with the legal guidelines and laws governing the authorized career in Nigeria.

The diplomat emphasised his dedication to the rule of regulation {and professional} ethics, noting that he had practised regulation for greater than 4 many years and wouldn’t knowingly have interaction in any motion able to undermining the integrity of the authorized career.

He additional acknowledged that his household has a long-standing authorized custom spanning three generations and reaffirmed his respect for the established requirements of authorized apply within the nation.

The rejection comes a day after the Nigerian Law Society conferred the SCN designation on Fani-Kayode, Seyi Tinubu and three different authorized practitioners throughout its 2026 Annual General Conference in Abuja.

Other recipients included Olufunmilayo Osifuye, Ihudiebube Chukwumdi and Alabi Olalekan Adigun.

The improvement has reignited debate over the authorized standing of the Blue Silk title. The Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee (LPPC) has persistently maintained that the Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) stays the one senior authorized rank recognised underneath Nigerian regulation.

Earlier within the yr, the LPPC warned attorneys in opposition to adopting or presenting themselves as holders of the Blue Silk designation, arguing that it lacks statutory recognition and will appeal to disciplinary motion.

The controversy follows a Federal High Court judgment in Abuja during which Justice James Omotosho dismissed a go well with searching for judicial recognition of the Blue Silk rank, ruling that the authority to confer the SAN title rests completely with the LPPC.

Despite the ruling, the Nigerian Law Society and the Body of Senior Counsel of Nigeria have insisted that they preserve the correct to award the SCN designation to their members underneath their inner laws.

Fani-Kayode, nevertheless, maintained that neither his illustration on the occasion nor any correspondence issued on his behalf ought to be construed as acceptance of the honour.

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