Legal Practitioner’s Privilege Committee (LPPC), has unveiled a list of candidates to be considered for the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) for 2017.

A statement by secretary of LPPC, Ahmed Gambo Saleh, who also serves as Registrar of Supreme Court, said that 91 lawyers were screened for this year’s SAN award, bringing them another step closer to joining the elite club of legal practitioners.

Mr. Saleh gave a breakdown of the candidates as comprising 67 practising lawyers and 24 legal scholars.

Akinlolu Osinbajo, a brother of Acting President Yemi Osinbajo was amongst those who made the list from practising lawyers category; while Bolaji Owasanoye of the presidential anti-corruption panel was picked from the academia.

The number of shortlisted candidates this year rose sharply over the number of those considered for the award in the previous year.

The committee shortlisted 50 candidates in the 2016 exercise, but eventually cleared 22 and conferred them with the award, which is the highest for the Nigerian bar.

Out of 124 applications received in 2015, LPPC elevated only 20 Nigerians with senior advocate status.

More than 400 Nigerians have been conferred with the award since it began in 1973 with the elevation of the late legal luminary, Rotimi Williams, as the first awardee.

LPPC said it would welcome contributions from the general public in further determining the character of the individuals named for the award.

PT