The Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee, LPPC, has been asked to withdraw Mike Ozekhome’s suspension from the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, pending the outcome of his prosecution by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Offenses Commission, ICPC, which has been taken over by the Attorney General of the Federation, AGF.
The decision to suspend Ozekhome’s SAN rank was taken at the 173rd general meeting of the LPPC, held on June 23, 2026.
The LPPC, in a statement signed by its Secretary and Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, Kabir Akanbi, said the suspension is intended to safeguard the integrity, dignity and prestige of the SAN rank. The statement added that the action was taken in line with Paragraph 26(6) of the Guidelines for the Conferment of the Rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria, pending the final determination of disciplinary proceedings presently before the Disciplinary and Ethics Sub-Committee of the LPPC.
However, lawyers under the aegis of the Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners, ALDRAP, have said the suspension is sub-judice as it concerns issues that are subject of an ongoing court case and therefore should be withdrawn until the judgment is delivered.
The lawyers made the demand in Freedom of Information, FOI, request addressed to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, who serves as Chairman of LPPC, and the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, who serves as Secretary of the LPPC. The FOI request was signed by ALDRAP Administrative Secretary, Jesse Williams Amuga.
“In furtherance of our primary objective of demanding accountability by both institutions and officials of government, we write to respectfully request details of the legal basis and rationale for suspension of Prof. Mike Ozekhome as per letter/PRESS RELEASE dated 23rd June 2026 and signed by the Secretary of the LPPC.
“Our request for both electronic and hardcopy of the minutes of the 173rd LPPC meeting is made pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, 2011.
“Any Nigerian lawyer with a rudimentary knowledge of law, understands that the decision of the LPPC to suspend Prof. Mike Ozekhome is prejucial and against the sub-judice rule considering that there is an ongoing lawsuit against him by the ICPC that commenced in February 2026 at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja,” parts of the FOI request read.
The lawyers threatened to take legal action against the LPPC if the request was not granted. “Take notice that in the event that our request is not granted, the LPPC would leave us with no other option than to instruct our lawyers to file a lawsuit to assert the legal rights of our association.”
Also, the lawyers urged the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights to intervene and prevent what it described as threats posed to the independence of Nigeria’s judiciary by the LPPC’s refusal to abide by the sub-judice rule.
The association noted that the LPPC has been in the habit of taking actions on issues that are sub-judice, contrary to the principle of rule of law.
The letter signed by Executive Secretary of ALDRAP, Dr Tonye Clinton Jaja, pointed out that in February 2026, despite a pending lawsuit against the LPPC and its secretary, Kabir Akanbi, the two parties, in defiance of the sub-judice rule, issued a public statement that was “blatantly prejudicial” against the subject matter of on-going litigation at the Federal High Court Abuja.
The letter added, “This prejudicial press statement was published on 12th February 2026 whereas judgment in the said lawsuit was delivered on 13th May 2026. This matter is now the subject matter at the Court of Appeal of Nigeria.
“Again on 23rd June 2026, the same parties, Mr. Kabir Akanbi and the Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee (LPPC) issued two press statements on two different issues that are subject matters of on-going litigation. A list of 89 shortlisted candidates for conferment of the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and suspension of Prof. Mike Ozekhome from use of the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).
“There are a plethora of judgments of the Supreme Court of Nigeria such as Governor of Lagos State vs. Ojukwu (1986) wherein it was stated that government officials and institutions should not resort to self-help but rather should await the outcome of judicial proceedings when they are involved in on-going lawsuits.
“This is a way to show respect for the rule of law. We write to seek your intervention to stop this emerging pattern of the LPPC.”
