Saraki Petitions CJN, Opposes SAN Rank For Kwara Attorney-general Over ‘Malicious’ Offa Bank Robbery Charges
Former Senate President Bukola Saraki has petitioned the chief justice of Nigeria (CJN) over the planned conferment of the rank of senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN) on Senior Sulyman Ibrahim, Kwara state attorney-general and commissioner for justice.
The CJN chairs the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee (LPPC), the body responsible for conferring the SAN rank.
In a petition dated May 25, 2026 and seen by TheCable, Saraki said Ibrahim’s official conduct “completely falls short of the high standard of integrity, honour, and professional ethics required of any practitioner worthy of being elevated to the prestigious rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria”.
The former senate president alleged that the Kwara attorney-general brought the legal profession into “disrepute” by preferring or causing to be preferred charges that “he knows or ought to have known have no basis in law and were merely designed as a political weapon against me”.
A senior lawyer told TheCable this development should send a clear signal to attorneys-general at federal and states that their position is so sacred that the constitution specifically spells out their powers and functions.
“Any misuse and abuse of the powers must have grave implications. To whom much is given, much is expected. The AGs should avoid being used for partisan, mischievous, and malicious score settling or abuse of prosecutorial powers. Where they fall into all these misdeeds, there are immediate and long-term implications. They should learn to say no to governors or the president. There is always the option of walking away with dignity,” he said, refusing to be named because of his relationship with both parties.
SARAKI OBJECTS ON TWO GROUNDS
Saraki said his petition is premised on two grounds — malicious prosecution and abuse of constitutional powers, and frivolous penal code charge and violation of due process.
The former Kwara governor said despite being cleared by the federal government’s department of public prosecutions (DPP) over the 2018 Offa robbery, Ibrahim filed charges against him and two others.
Saraki said the charges were “deliberately timed and designed to cause grave public embarrassment, inflict reputational damage, and maliciously de-market me politically”.
“Crucially, prior to the filing of this charge, I was neither invited by the police for questioning nor confronted with any allegations whatsoever,” part of the petition reads.
“I only became aware of the proceedings when the court processes were pasted on the gate at my residence in Ilorin, commanding my appearance in court on June 10, 2026.
“It is against this backdrop, and the applicant’s recurrent instances of gross abuse of power, that I respectfully urge you to thoroughly scrutinise his candidacy and consider his suitability before conferring such a revered privilege upon him.
“The rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria is reserved exclusively for legal practitioners who have demonstrated exemplary character, absolute fidelity to the rule of law, and an unyielding commitment to the due administration of justice.
“It must never be conferred upon a practitioner who uses state prosecutorial machinery to wage personal or political vendettas.
“By weaponizing the criminal justice system for ulterior motives, Sulyman Ibrahim, Esq. has brought disrepute to the legal profession and shown that he lacks the emotional detachment, fairness, and ministerial integrity expected of a minister in the temple of justice.”
The former senate president also deposed to an affidavit at the Kwara high court to support the petition.
In April, the Kwara state government filed a 20-count charge against Saraki and Abdulfatah Ahmed, former governor of the state, over allegations of arming suspects convicted of robbery in Offa.
Other defendants in the case are Yusuf Abdulwahab, a former chief of staff to Ahmed, and Alabi Olalekan, another aide.
Recently, a total of 89 applicants were shortlisted by LPPC for the conferment of SAN rank.
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