A federal judge in the United States has dismissed a lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump’s administration seeking to delay the certification of Alaska’s Senate election results over concerns about a second candidate bearing the same name as the Republican incumbent.

Judge Sharon Gleason ruled on Sunday that the proposed legal intervention was unworkable, warning that changing election rules shortly before voting could create confusion among voters and discourage participation.

The US Department of Justice had asked the court to prevent the certification of the results if incumbent Republican Senator Dan Sullivan loses Tuesday’s midterm election.

The lawsuit centred on the participation of another candidate named Dan Sullivan, whom the administration alleged could confuse voters intending to support the Republican senator and split his votes.

Trump had claimed that Democratic candidate Mary Peltola recruited the additional candidate to gain an unfair electoral advantage by misleading voters.

The administration sought an investigation if Peltola emerged victorious to determine how many votes cast for the second Dan Sullivan were actually intended for the Republican incumbent.

However, in her ruling, Gleason rejected the request, describing the proposed intervention as impractical and warning of its potential consequences for the electoral process.

“Such an attempt would likely result in voter confusion and consequent incentive to remain away from the polls. Such late-breaking changes to the election rules are strongly disfavored,” the judge said.

Trump had previously acknowledged personally ordering the legal action, making the lawsuit an unusual intervention by the federal government in an ongoing Senate election.

The case has attracted attention amid concerns about possible legal challenges to Republican losses in the midterm elections, which will determine control of the US Congress.

Alaska is among the states where Democrats are seeking to unseat Republican incumbents as part of their efforts to secure a majority in the Senate.

The ruling means the administration’s request to block certification on the basis of the second candidate’s name will not proceed.

The Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee (LPPC) has invited applications for the 2027 conferment of the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), setting a non-refundable processing fee of ₦5 million for lawyers in private practice and ₦2.5 million for legal practitioners employed in government service.

According to a notice signed by the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court and Secretary of the LPPC, Kabir Eniola Akanbi, the application portal will open at midnight on Sunday, November 1, 2026. Applications must be submitted online through the committee’s official website, “www.lppconline.com” (https://www.lppconline.com).

The exercise is being conducted under Section 5(2) of the Legal Practitioners Act and Paragraphs 10(1)–(4) of the 2022 Guidelines for the Conferment of the rank.

The committee has directed prospective applicants to pay the prescribed fee into its designated accounts with Zenith Bank or Guaranty Trust Bank and upload evidence of payment to the portal for verification.

Applicants will receive a confirmation email from the LPPC Secretariat before proceeding with the application process.

Application Deadline and Submission Requirements

The LPPC has fixed midnight on January 31, 2027, as the deadline for online applications. Applicants must also ensure that the required physical materials reach the committee’s secretariat before 4 p.m. on February 1, 2027.

The committee warned that applications that fail to comply with the prescribed guidelines or arrive after the stipulated deadlines will be rejected and treated as non-submissions.

All applicants, whether seeking the rank through legal advocacy or academia, must upload clear and legible copies of the mandatory and supporting documents specified in the guidelines.

Applicants are advised to prepare their documents early, ensure that all uploaded files are readable and verify that their submissions satisfy the relevant requirements before the deadline.

Additional Requirements for Academic Applicants

Lawyers applying through the academic category face additional documentation requirements.

The LPPC has directed academic applicants to submit seven physical photocopies each of their curriculum vitae and impact statement, alongside the required digital materials.

In addition, every applicant must submit five flash drives containing a copy of the completed application form downloaded from the portal and copies of all mandatory and supporting documents uploaded during the online application process.

These requirements mean that completing the online application alone will not satisfy the entire submission process. Applicants must also ensure that the required physical materials are delivered to the LPPC Secretariat within the prescribed period.

The committee has directed applicants seeking clarification to contact its secretariat through [email protected].

LPPC Maintains Separate Fees for Private and Government Lawyers

The prescribed processing fees are:

Applicant category| Non-refundable fee

Lawyers in private practice| ₦5,000,000

Lawyers employed in government service| ₦2,500,000

The fee structure makes the processing charge for private practitioners twice that prescribed for government-employed lawyers.

The fees are processing charges for applications and should not be confused with a guarantee of conferment. Applicants must still satisfy the committee’s eligibility criteria and assessment requirements before they can be awarded the rank.

Prospective applicants should consult the official LPPC notice and the applicable guidelines to confirm the complete eligibility, documentation and assessment requirements.

68 Lawyers Received SAN Rank in 2026

The announcement comes weeks after the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, swore in 68 legal practitioners as Senior Advocates of Nigeria on October 12, 2026, during a special session of the Supreme Court marking the commencement of the 2026/2027 legal year.

The group comprised 67 advocates and one academic, Professor Nnamdi Onyeka Obiaraeri.

The LPPC had approved their elevation at its 174th plenary session in July.

The conferment of the SAN rank is one of the legal profession’s most significant recognitions in Nigeria.

It recognises demonstrated professional distinction in advocacy or academic contributions to the development of law, subject to the committee’s prescribed criteria.

The annual application process gives eligible practitioners an opportunity to be considered for the distinction.

What Applicants Should Do Next

Lawyers intending to apply for the 2027 conferment should review the applicable guidelines before the portal opens on November 1.

They should also verify their eligibility, prepare supporting documents, confirm the prescribed payment procedure and plan for both online submission and delivery of the required physical materials.

With the online deadline set for January 31, 2027, and the physical-submission deadline following on February 1, applicants should avoid leaving document preparation or delivery until the final hours.

The LPPC has made clear that late or non-compliant applications will be treated as non-submissions, making adherence to the stated requirements essential.

Official application portal: “www.lppconline.com” (https://www.lppconline.com)

A lawyer and disability rights advocate, Olayinka Komolafe, has called on the Federal and state governments to fully enforce disability rights laws, improve accessible infrastructure and promote the inclusion of visually impaired persons in governance and economic activities.

Komolafe made the call on Saturday while delivering a keynote address in Abeokuta, Ogun State, at an event marking the 2026 International White Cane and Safety Day.

The event was organised by the Lions Club International, District 404B-4 Nigeria, Regions 10 and 11, Abeokuta axis, in partnership with the Nigeria Association of the Blind.

Speaking on the theme, “Knights of the Blind in the Modern Era: Championing Mobility, Digital Financial Access and Livelihood Inclusion for Persons with Visual Impairments,” Komolafe said the major challenges facing visually impaired Nigerians were not blindness itself but institutional and environmental barriers limiting their independence and participation in society.

He called on the government to amend relevant constitutional provisions to ensure better representation of persons with disabilities in decision-making processes.

According to him, involving persons with disabilities in governance would enable them to contribute directly to policies affecting their lives and ensure that their experiences and concerns were adequately represented.

“The inclusion of persons with disabilities, especially the visually impaired, is what we seek from the government because nobody can tell our story better than us.

We know what we feel and how it affects us. It is time for the Disability Rights Act of 2018, signed by former President Muhammadu Buhari in January 2019, to be fully enforced.

“The real darkness in Nigeria is not blindness—it is the systemic barriers that turn blindness into a disability,” he said.

Lawyer Decries Poor Pedestrian Infrastructure
Komolafe criticised the poor state of pedestrian infrastructure, warning that distributing white canes alone would not adequately address the mobility challenges faced by visually impaired persons.

He stressed the need for safe pedestrian walkways, tactile paving, accessible traffic signals and specialised orientation and mobility training to enable visually impaired people to move around safely and independently.

Citing Section 5 of the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, 2018, he said the law provides for accessibility in public buildings and infrastructure, including pedestrian walkways.

He, however, lamented the inadequate enforcement of the legislation, urging authorities to take practical steps to ensure that public spaces are accessible to persons with disabilities.

The disability rights advocate also appealed to Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, to implement the state’s disability law enacted under the administration of former Governor Ibikunle Amosun.

He said effective implementation would improve the living conditions of residents with disabilities and enable them to participate more fully in social, political and economic activities.

Banks Urged to Improve Digital Accessibility
On financial inclusion, Komolafe expressed concern over the difficulties visually impaired customers encounter when using automated teller machines and mobile banking applications.

He said the lack of accessible banking services often forced visually impaired customers to depend on other people to carry out financial transactions, potentially exposing their personal identification numbers and compromising their financial security.

He urged commercial banks to adopt accessible digital banking platforms, install appropriate assistive technologies and train employees to provide professional services to customers with disabilities.

Komolafe maintained that financial independence was essential to the dignity and security of visually impaired persons and called for measures that would allow them to conduct transactions safely without unnecessary assistance.

Advocate Calls for Economic Empowerment
The lawyer also highlighted the economic challenges facing visually impaired Nigerians, citing World Health Organisation data which, according to him, indicated that 80 per cent of visually impaired Nigerians lived in poverty because of unemployment and limited access to capital.

He called on government agencies, civil society organisations and development partners to expand access to vocational training, business financing and sustainable livelihood programmes for persons with visual impairments.

According to him, improving access to employment and entrepreneurship opportunities would help reduce economic exclusion and enable more visually impaired Nigerians to contribute to national development.

“The white cane is a symbol of independence, not a symbol of pity,” Komolafe said, urging visually impaired Nigerians to continue advocating for their rights and demanding the removal of barriers to equal participation.

Lions Club, Association of the Blind Seek Greater Inclusion
Earlier, the Chairperson of the Association of the Blind in Abeokuta South, Olatayo Oluwatomisin, expressed appreciation for the confidence reposed in her leadership.

She also commended members of the Lions Club in the Abeokuta axis for supporting the programme and encouraged members of the association to believe in themselves and remain determined not to allow their circumstances to limit their aspirations.

Also speaking, the Chairperson of the Lions Club’s Sight and Vision Programme, Lion Mumeen Akinsanya, said the event was organised to raise public awareness of the challenges faced by visually impaired persons and promote their inclusion in society.

Akinsanya explained that the programme featured a sensitisation walk and a lecture designed to educate the public about the capabilities of persons with visual impairments and the importance of supporting them to realise their potential.

She said the club had previously marked the occasion by providing free eye examinations and distributing eyeglasses but decided to adopt a different approach this year to broaden public understanding of disability inclusion.

“Before, we usually provided free eye check-ups and gave out glasses, but we decided to mark this year’s event differently.

“That is why we included the walk and the lecture to educate everyone, not only persons with visual impairments,” she said.

The calls at the event highlighted the need for stronger enforcement of disability rights legislation, accessible public infrastructure, inclusive financial services and expanded economic opportunities to enable visually impaired Nigerians to live independently and participate fully in society.