LPPC appoints Apata, Adegboruwa, 36 others as SAN

The Solicitor-General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Justice, Justice Adedayo Apata, Lagos lawyer, Mr. Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, and 36 others have been elevated to the highly coveted rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria.

Chief Registrar of Supreme Court and Legal Practitioners’ Committee, Hadizatu Mustapha, announced the list at a press conference in Abuja on Friday.

She said the total of 38 lawyers was elevated by the LPPC at the committee’s 138th plenary session held on Thursday.

The successful candidates, who were selected from 117 applicants for the rank, are to be sworn in at the ceremony marking the upcoming new 2019/2020 legal year of the apex court which will hold in September.

Apart from Adegboruwa and Apata, among the newly elevated lawyers is Mrs. Adedoyin Rhodes-Vivour, who is the wife of a Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Olabode Rhodes-Vivour.

The rest include, Abdullahi Haruna, Manga Nuruddeen, John Asoluka, Adedokun Makinde, Daniel Enwelum, Emmanuel Oyebanji, Tuduru Ede, Abdul Ajana, Ama Etuwewe, Oladipo Olasope, Leslie Olutayo Nylander, Olusegun Fowowe and Andrew Hutton.

They also include, Olukayode Enitan, Paul Ogbole, Olaniyi Olopade, Samuel Agweh, Olusegun Jolaawo, Prof. Alphonsus Alubo, Ayo Asala, Abiodun Olatunji, Olumide Aju, Chimezie Ihekweazu, Prof. Mamman Lawan, Prof. Uchefula Chukwumaeze, Usman Sule, Safiya Badamasi, and Echezona Etiaba.

The rest are Godwin Omoaka, Emeka Ozoani, Alexander Ejesieme, Jephthah Njikonye, Aikhunegbe Malik, Alhassan Umar and Oyetola Muyiwa.

While announcing the list on Friday, the Supreme Court’s Chief Registrar said four of the 117 applicants were female, among whom two were successful.

Of the 38 successful candidates, three of them are of the academics category while the rest of them are of advocacy.

Mustapha said, “The rank (SAN), is awarded as a mark of excellence to members of the legal profession who have distinguished themselves as advocates and academics.

“The swearing-in ceremony of the 38 legal practitioners will take place during the 2019/2020 new legal year of the Supreme Court scheduled for September 2019.”