Only two women of the four who applied for Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN this year, have been successful.
Out of the 117 legal practitioners who applied for the SAN rank this year, only 38 including the women succeeded at the end of a rigorous screening exercise.
Among the successful applicants, three are academics, while 35 are advocates.
The Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee, LPPC, had on July 5, stated identities of the 38 lawyers that were conferred the SAN rank.
Among the new silks are the Solicitor-General of the Federation, Mr. Dayo Apata and Lagos based human rights activist, Mr. Ebun-olu Adegboruwa.
Others are wife of a Justice of the Supreme Court, Mrs. Adedoyin Rhodes-Vivour, Abdullahi Haruna, Manga Nuruddeen, John Onuegbulam Asoluka, Adedokun Makinde, Daniel Enwelum, Emmanuel Oyebanji, Tuduru Ede, Abdul Ajana and Ama Etuwewe and Oladipo Olasope.
Others are Leslie Nylander, Olusegun Fowowe, Andrew Hutton, Olukayode Enitan, Paul Ogbole, Olaniyi Olopade, Samuel Agweh, Olusegun Jolaawo, Prof. Alhponsus Alubo, Ayo Asala, Abiodun Olatunji, Olumide Aju, Chimezie Ihekweazu, Prof. Mamman Lawan, Prof. Uchefula Chukwumaeze, Usman Sule, Safiya Badamasi, Echezona Etiaba, Godwin Omoaka.
Emeka Ozoani, Alexander Ejesieme, Jephthah Njikonye, Aihkunegbe Malik, Alhassan Umar and Oyetola Atoyebi.
The SAN rank is awarded as a mark of excellence to members of the legal profession who have distinguished themselves as advocates and academics.
Aside enjoying the front seat in court, SANs equally have the privilege of getting their cases called first by the Judge.
Meanwhile, Justice Tanko Muhammad, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, will on Monday, swear in the new SANs.
The Director, Press & Information at the Supreme Court, Dr. Akande Festus, in a statement on Wednesday, said the swearing-in ceremony was part of programmes lined up to herald the 2019/2020 legal year of the Court.
The Supreme Court had on July 29, commenced its annual vacation, even though some Justices remained on duty to attend to political matters that are time bound.
“As customary, during such programmes, the Honourable Chief Justice of Nigeria, will deliver a state-of-the Judiciary address which is ostensibly to highlight the performance of the Supreme Court, and by extension, the Nigerian Judiciary in the outgoing 2018/2019 legal year,” Akande stated.
