Nwokoye Receives Blue Silks Rank Amid Legal Controversy

Chief Ebele Nwokoye, who served as the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) from 1985 to 1987, was conferred with the Blue Silks rank on September 15, 2026, during an event in Abakiliki, Ebonyi State. The Blue Silks rank, introduced as an alternative to the Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) title for non-litigation lawyers, has faced opposition from the NBA, which deemed it illegal and warned that lawyers accepting the rank could face severe sanctions.

The conferment of Nwokoye is viewed as a significant milestone in the establishment of the Blue Silks rank, especially given the NBA's previous unsuccessful attempts to challenge its legitimacy. Dr Tonye Clinton Jaja, Executive Secretary of the Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners (ALDRAP), remarked that this date would be remembered in the Nigerian legal profession's history.

The criteria for the Blue Silks rank require candidates to submit at least 35 verifiable non-litigation transactions and hold a Bachelor of Laws degree for a minimum of ten years.