ALDRAP Files Suit at Industrial Court, Seeks Order to Restore Ozekhome’s SAN Rank
The Incorporated Trustees of the Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners has approached the National Industrial Court of Nigeria in Abuja, seeking to quash the decision of the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee suspending Chief Mike Ozekhome from the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
In the originating summons marked NICN/ABJ/244/2026, ALDRAP also asked the court for declaratory reliefs and an order of mandamus compelling the restoration of Ozekhome’s SAN rank.
The suit, which bears a June 29, 2026 filing stamp, was instituted at the Abuja Judicial Division of the National Industrial Court.
The claimant listed five defendants in the action.
They are the Chairman of the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee, who is also the Chief Justice of Nigeria; the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court and Secretary of the LPPC, Kabir Eniola Akanbi; the LPPC; Professor Mike Ozekhome; and the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.
The suit is specifically described as an application for an order of certiorari to quash the LPPC’s decision suspending Ozekhome from the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
It is also presented as an application for declarations and an order of mandamus directing the restoration of the rank to the senior lawyer.
Although Ozekhome is the person whose rank the claimant wants restored, he was listed as the fourth defendant in the proceedings.
The single-page court document reviewed does not contain the full questions submitted for determination, the claimant’s detailed legal arguments or the specific declarations sought beyond the broad requests stated on the face of the originating summons.
ALDRAP brought the action pursuant to Section 17 of the National Industrial Court Act 2006 and Orders 1 to 20 of the National Industrial Court Rules 2017.
The claimant also relied on Sections 254C(1)(a), (c), (k), (l), (m) and (n) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
Other provisions cited include Sections 36(1), 36(9) and 174 of the Constitution, Rule 33 of the Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners 2023, the Labour Act and the inherent jurisdiction of the court.
The court process requires the defendants to enter an appearance within 14 days after service of the originating summons.
Any defendant intending to oppose the suit is expected to file a memorandum of appearance and counter-affidavit indicating whether the party intends to contest the action or submit to the jurisdiction of the court.
The suit followed the LPPC’s decision at its 173rd General Meeting on June 23, 2026, to suspend Ozekhome from the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
The committee said the suspension would remain in effect pending the final determination of disciplinary proceedings before its Disciplinary and Ethics Sub-Committee and other related proceedings.
The LPPC said it acted pursuant to Paragraph 26(6) of the Guidelines for the Conferment of the Rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
It maintained that the temporary suspension was intended to protect the integrity, dignity and prestige of the SAN rank while the matters involving Ozekhome remained under consideration.
The committee consequently directed him to refrain from presenting or holding himself out as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria until the disciplinary and related proceedings were concluded.
The filing of the originating summons does not amount to a court decision reversing the suspension.
The National Industrial Court has not, based on the document reviewed, determined the validity of the LPPC’s action or granted the orders sought by ALDRAP.
The defendants are expected to respond after being served, while the court will subsequently hear arguments on its jurisdiction, the competence of the claimant to institute the case and the substantive legality of the suspension.
ALDRAP is asking the court to nullify the LPPC’s decision through certiorari and compel the restoration of Ozekhome’s SAN rank through mandamus.
