Nigeria’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Ambassador Femi Fani-Kayode, has rejected the purported conferment of the Senior Counsel of Nigeria rank, also known as Blue Silk, on him by the Nigerian Law Society.

The former Minister of Aviation said he neither authorised nor approved the acceptance of the designation, describing the circumstances surrounding the development as an administrative misjudgment.

In a statement issued on Friday by his Special Assistant on Media, Lizzy Okoji, Fani-Kayode explained that members of his staff represented him at the event after his office received an invitation from the society.

“His Excellency wishes to categorically state that he did not personally authorise or approve the acceptance of the said designation and hereby formally disassociates himself from the purported conferment,” the statement read.

He said the subsequent communication conveying acceptance of the designation was made without his personal approval or intention to misrepresent his position.

“The circumstances surrounding the representation and subsequent communication of acceptance were regrettable and arose from an unfortunate administrative misjudgment, without any intention whatsoever to misrepresent His Excellency’s personal position or professional convictions,” it added.

Fani-Kayode also raised concerns about the legal and professional implications of the designation, particularly its conformity with the statutory framework regulating the legal profession and relevant judicial pronouncements.

He stressed that he remained committed to the rule of law and professional ethics, noting that he had practised law for more than 41 years.

“As a legal practitioner of over 41 years standing, His Excellency would be the last person to knowingly engage in any act that violates the law, undermines the integrity of the legal profession, or brings the profession into disrepute,” the statement said.

The former minister added that he came from a family with three generations of legal practitioners and remained committed to upholding the established traditions of the profession.

His rejection comes a day after the NLS conferred the SCN designation on him, Seyi Tinubu, son of President Bola Tinubu, and three other legal practitioners at its 2026 Annual General Conference in Abuja.

The other recipients were Olufunmilayo Osifuye, Ihudiebube Chukwumdi and Alabi Olalekan Adigun.

The conferment has generated controversy over the legal status of the Blue Silk designation, with the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee maintaining that the Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) remains the only professional rank statutorily recognised under Nigerian law.

In February, the committee warned lawyers against adopting or parading the Blue Silk designation, arguing that it lacked statutory backing and could expose practitioners to disciplinary consequences.

The controversy also followed a Federal High Court judgment in Abuja dismissing a suit seeking judicial recognition of the Blue Silk rank.

Justice James Omotosho held that the suit lacked merit, stressing that the statutory authority to confer the SAN rank rests with the LPPC.

However, the NLS and the Body of Senior Counsel of Nigeria have maintained that they have the autonomy to confer the SCN designation on their members under their internal rules and regulations.

Fani-Kayode maintained that neither his representation at the event nor any communication made on his behalf should be interpreted as his personal endorsement or acceptance of the designation. (PUNCH)