Nigeria’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Femi Fani-Kayode, has rejected the Senior Counsel of Nigeria (SCN) designation, popularly known as “Blue Silk”, conferred on him by the Nigerian Law Society (NLS), saying he neither authorised nor approved its acceptance.
Fani-Kayode said the decision to accept the designation on his behalf was made without his personal consent, describing the development as an administrative misjudgement.
In a statement issued on Friday by his Special Assistant on Media, Lizzy Okoji, the former Minister of Aviation said members of his staff attended the NLS event after an invitation was sent to his office.
He explained that the staff representation was part of his official engagements and was not intended to communicate his personal endorsement of the title.
According to him, the circumstances surrounding the representation and the subsequent communication of acceptance were regrettable.
Fani-Kayode said he was formally dissociating himself from the purported conferment, adding that neither his presence through representatives nor any statement made on his behalf should be interpreted as his acceptance of the designation.
The former minister also raised concerns about the legal and professional implications of the Blue Silk rank, particularly whether it was consistent with the statutory framework governing the legal profession and relevant court decisions.
He said that, as a legal practitioner of more than 41 years, he would not knowingly engage in any act capable of violating the law, undermining the integrity of the profession or bringing it into disrepute.
Fani-Kayode further cited his family’s legal background, noting that he comes from a lineage of three generations of legal practitioners. He said he remained committed to professional ethics, the rule of law and the established traditions of the legal profession.
His rejection comes amid a growing dispute over the legal status of the SCN designation.
The NLS had announced Fani-Kayode, Seyi Tinubu, son of President Bola Tinubu, and three other lawyers as recipients of the title at its 2026 annual general conference in Abuja.
Other recipients included Olufunmilayo Osifuye, Ihudiebube Chukwumdi and Alabi Olalekan Adigun.
The conferment triggered controversy among legal practitioners, with the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee (LPPC) maintaining that the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) remains the only professional distinction recognised under Nigerian law.
In February, the committee warned lawyers against adopting the Blue Silk designation, arguing that it lacked statutory backing and could expose practitioners to disciplinary action.
The controversy also followed a May 13 judgment of a Federal High Court in Abuja, which dismissed a suit seeking judicial recognition of the Blue Silk rank.
Justice James Omotosho held that the LPPC was the statutory body empowered to confer the SAN designation.
However, the NLS and the Body of Senior Counsel of Nigeria have maintained that they possess the autonomy to award the SCN title under their internal rules and regulations.
Fani-Kayode’s statement sought to put his position beyond doubt, stressing that he had not personally accepted the designation and remained committed to upholding the law and the dignity of the legal profession.
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