New SAN Gezawa defends high number of recipients, NBA president, Kwankwaso hail conferment

A new silk, Sagir Suleiman Gezawa (SAN) has defended the growing competitiveness and attractiveness involved in the process of confering of the title of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria on legal practitioners in the country, noting that the number of recipients remained relatively small compared with Nigeria’s legal population.

Gezawa, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, was among the 68 new SANs recently conferred with the prestigious honour in Abuja on Monday.

Nigeria, according to him, had more than 200,000 lawyers, while the number of lawyers who had received the prestigious rank remained comparatively limited.

Gezawa stated that although 68 new recipients had joined the existing body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria, bringing the total number of conferments since the inception of the rank to about 2,000, including deceased recipients, he nevertheless pointed out that more than 100 of those previously conferred with the rank were deceased, underscoring the need to assess the number of living SANs against the overall population of legal practitioners.

Newly conferred SAN pledged continued dedication to the administration of justice, the promotion of the rule of law and the mentorship of young lawyers, urging Nigerians to ensure that the 2027 general election is decided at the ballot rather than in court.

Gezawa made the commitment while fielding questions from newsmen at a reception held in his honour following his inauguration as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria alongside 67 other legal practitioners.

He said the prestigious rank came with recognition, honour, and prestige, but stressed that the greater responsibility was to contribute meaningfully to the development of the legal profession and the administration of justice in the country.

“What Nigerians should expect from me is continuous dedication, continuous hard work in the administration of justice, in my support for the rule of law and in my support for our younger ones through mentorship,” he said.

The new SAN expressed concern over the challenges facing the legal profession, particularly the need to restore and sustain professional standards.

According to him, he would do his best to maintain the standards of the profession, uplift younger lawyers through mentorship, and contribute to the continuous development of legal education and practice in Nigeria.

On preparations for the 2027 general election, Gezawa called on political actors to respect the will of the electorate and allow the outcome of the polls to reflect the free and fair expression of Nigerians.

“The first thing I will say is that this season of election does not present a lot of cases. In the previous cycles of election, by now there would be a lot of pre-election matters pending in our courts, which is not the case presently,” he said and maintained that elections should primarily be determined by voters and not through prolonged legal battles.

“My expectation is, let the election be determined at the ballot. Let Nigerians be allowed to express themselves freely and fairly, and let the actors also accept the will of Nigerians,” he said and urged lawyers and other stakeholders in the justice system to uphold justice and the rule of law should electoral disputes arise after the polls.

He described legal practitioners as ministers in the temple of justice and called on them to ensure that their conduct in election-related cases remained guided by justice, fairness and the national interest.

“If, in any case, it turns out to be or ends up in court, I will call on all of us as ministers in the temple of justice to be on the side of justice, to be on the side of the rule of law and to be on the side of Nigerians in advocating or presenting our cases for and on behalf of our clients,” he said.

On the growing competitiveness and attractiveness of the SAN rank, Gezawa defended the process of conferment, noting that the number of recipients remained relatively small compared with Nigeria’s legal population.

He said Nigeria had more than 200,000 lawyers, while the number of lawyers who had received the prestigious rank remained comparatively limited.

Gezawa stated that the 68 new recipients had joined the existing body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria, bringing the total number of conferments since the inception of the rank to about 2,000, including deceased recipients.

He added that more than 100 of those previously conferred with the rank were deceased, underscoring the need to assess the number of living SANs against the overall population of legal practitioners.

While acknowledging the work already being done by the body responsible for the conferment, he called for the continued maintenance and strengthening of the selection criteria.

“Let the standard be maintained and let there be improvement, of course, in tightening the standards, so that we will produce the best as Senior Advocates of Nigeria,” he said.

Meanwhile, the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mrs Oyinkansola Badejo-Okunsanya, her predecessor, Mazi Afam Osigwe, former Kano state Governor, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, and a Justice of the Court of Appeal, Justice Lawal Shaibu, Justice DJ Aboki, the CJ of Kano State,Prof Hamisu Yadudu, ICPC boss, Dr Musa Adamu Aliyu, Prof Mamman Lawal, Hon Justice Lawal Shaibu, Dr Nurudeen Mohammed, his mother Hajia Habiba,his brother, Dr Manir Suleiman and his two wives have congratulated Gezawa on his conferment with the prestigious rank of SAN.

The legal luminaries and other dignitaries gave the commendations at a reception held in Abuja in honour of Gezewa, where they described his elevation as a significant milestone in his legal career and urged him to use the honour to advance the legal profession and serve humanity.

Speaking at the reception, the NBA President expressed confidence that the new rank would bring the celebrant greater opportunities, success and professional fulfilment and noted that the reality of becoming a Senior Advocate of Nigeria would become clearer when he first appeared in court wearing the silk associated with the prestigious rank.

In his goodwill message, Justice Shaibu of the Court of Appeal said Gezawa’s courtroom performance impressed him, prompting him to tell his colleagues that the young lawyer had the potential to become a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.

He expressed satisfaction that Gezawa had lived up to that early assessment, adding that the new SAN had not disappointed him.

Shaibu also acknowledged the importance of mentorship in legal practice, noting that Gezawa had benefited from the guidance of an accomplished and competent Senior Advocate.

Drawing from his experience as chairman of the panel responsible for selecting candidates for the SAN rank, the judge described the conferment process as rigorous, explaining that many accomplished lawyers apply but only a limited number are successful.

He said Gezawa’s emergence among those selected was a remarkable achievement and a source of encouragement to younger lawyers aspiring to attain the rank.

He urged the new Senior Advocate to use his elevated professional standing to create greater opportunities for service, uphold the rule of law and contribute meaningfully to the justice system.

Also speaking on behalf of the celebrant’s family, Dr Manir Suleiman described Gezawa’s achievement as an emotional moment that brought back memories of their childhood and their late father.

Suleiman recalled meeting the celebrant when he was still in primary school, shortly before he travelled abroad for his studies.
He said he later remembered how their late father spoke proudly about Gezewa when he was preparing to gain admission into the university, expressing confidence in his future.

According to him, their father had a special pride in Gezewa and great expectations for what he would accomplish, adding that, beyond his professional accomplishments, Gezewa as an upright and respected family member and a man of integrity in society.

In a separate goodwill message, Kwankwaso congratulated Gezewa, whom he described as their son, and expressed pride in his accomplishment.

The former governor and Vice Presidential candidate of Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) prayed that Almighty Allah would continue to guide the new Senior Advocate, grant him wisdom and make his professional career successful.

He particularly urged that the achievement should benefit humanity, saying Gezawa should be guided to use his professional standing and new status for the good of society.

The reception brought together legal practitioners, family members, friends, and other distinguished guests to celebrate Gezawa’s elevation to one of the legal profession’s highest honours in Nigeria.