Two full-page congratulatory advertisements celebrating newly conferred Senior Advocates of Nigeria appeared in the Tuesday, October 13, 2026 edition of ThisDay newspaper, barely 24 hours after the 68 new silks were formally sworn in at the Supreme Court in Abuja.
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TheNigeriaLawyer observed the two advertisements in the edition reviewed on Tuesday. There may be similar congratulatory notices in other newspapers or publications which were not examined at the time of this report.
On page 10 of ThisDay, a full-page advertisement headed “A WELL DESERVED HONOUR!” featured a photograph of Soibi Ovia, SAN, FCIArb (UK) in silk robes and wig.
The message celebrated her elevation to the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria, describing the achievement as the culmination of hard work, dedication, resilience and professional excellence.
“From your Call to the Bar to this remarkable milestone, your journey has been a testament to hard work, dedication, resilience, professional excellence and the abundant grace of God,” the message read.
It added: “Your elevation to the Inner Bar is a fitting recognition of your exceptional legal acumen, unwavering integrity and enduring commitment to the pursuit of justice.”
The advertisement further stated: “To the world, you are a distinguished legal luminary. To us, you are an extraordinary wife and mother, a source of inspiration, and our greatest pride.
“The Bar celebrates a distinguished new Silk; we celebrate the remarkable woman behind the honour.
“Congratulations, my darling wife, on this well-deserved achievement.”
The advertisement was signed “Your Loving Husband, Victor Ovia, and Children.”
Another full-page advertisement appeared on page 20 under the headline “HEARTY CONGRATULATIONS TO MUSTAPHA OLAYINKA AJENIFUJA, SAN.”
It also carried a photograph of the new Senior Advocate in silk robes and wig.
The message congratulated Ajenifuja “on his elevation to the prestigious rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN),” describing the recognition as a reflection of his “professional excellence, integrity and contribution to the Nigerian Legal Profession.”
It added: “Alongside his family, colleagues, and the wider legal community, I wish him even greater success as he continues to contribute to the advancement of the profession and the justice system.”
The advertisement was signed Olasunkanmi Owoyemi.
The advertisements appeared a day after the Supreme Court special session at which 68 lawyers were admitted into the Inner Bar.
It has been reported that, during the mandatory pre-swearing-in induction for the new Senior Advocates, participants were cautioned against advertisements, congratulatory messages or other publicity connected with their nomination or conferment, with possible disciplinary consequences said to attach to a breach.
The restriction has been linked to the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee Guidelines governing conduct connected with the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria and provisions of the Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners 2023 dealing with advertising and improper publicity.
However, TheNigeriaLawyer has not independently verified the specific paragraph or rule numbers said to contain the restriction and, for that reason, does not reproduce them in this report.
It is also important to state that the two advertisements reviewed were signed by third parties. Nothing presently before TheNigeriaLawyer establishes that either of the newly conferred Senior Advocates personally commissioned, authorised or paid for the advertisements. Whether a third-party congratulatory publication amounts to a breach of any applicable rule would therefore be a matter for the appropriate regulatory body to determine on the relevant facts and governing instruments.
The publications came shortly after leaders of the legal profession used the Supreme Court ceremony to remind the new silks of the responsibilities accompanying the rank.
Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, told the new Senior Advocates that the rank should not be regarded as a commercial privilege.
“The silk gown is not a commercial licence. It is a mantle of professional, constitutional and social responsibility,” he said.
Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, similarly urged them to “carry the rank with dignity, humility and a deep sense of responsibility,” adding that attaining the rank of Senior Advocate “does not place” a lawyer beyond accountability.
Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, speaking for the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria, also cautioned the new silks against arrogance.
“You have been appointed as Senior Advocates of Nigeria. Not for you to lose your head. Not for you to become so heady, so haughty, so rude,” he said.
“It is for you to be humble. It is for you to be sober. It is for you to be very reflective.”
For the avoidance of doubt, TheNigeriaLawyer is reporting these advertisements because they appeared in a newspaper available to the public and because of the wider professional debate surrounding publicity connected with the conferment of the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria. This report is not published for the purpose of blackmail, intimidation, embarrassment or obtaining any benefit from any person, nor does it amount to a finding that any of the persons named has breached any professional rule.
TheNigeriaLawyer will equally publish any clarification or response from the affected persons, the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee, the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria or any other competent professional body concerning the applicable rules and their interpretation. It is also possible that, following this publication, some beneficiaries may state that they were unaware of the congratulatory advertisements or that they neither authorised nor paid for them.
Any such response will be considered and reported on its own facts. However, claims of non-authorisation are among the issues that may arise where third parties publish congratulatory advertisements concerning newly conferred Senior Advocates. Ultimately, whether any particular publication constitutes a breach of the applicable professional rules is a matter for the appropriate regulatory authorities to determine, taking into account who commissioned, authorised or paid for the advertisement.
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