NJC drops 11 Supreme Court Justice nominees?

The National Judicial Council NJC may have dropped 11 of 22 Appeal Court Justices recommended for elevation to the Supreme Court.

The Council released a list of 11 candidates it cleared yesterday for appointment to the highest court.

It was however silent on the fate of 11 others recommended for appointment by its interview committee;

Among the names it kept back are three of the six nominees recommended from the Southeast. They include Enugu’s lone nominee, Justice Anthony Ogakwu, Imo nominee Justice Theresa Orji-Abadua, and Abia nominee Justice Onyekachi Aja Otisi.

The Southeast candidates that scaled the hurdle include Justices Obande Ogbuinya (Ebonyi), Chidiebere Uwa (Abia), and Chioma Nwosu-Iheme (Imo).

The trio will join eight other successful nominees to await President Bola Tinubu’s recommendation, and their confirmation by the Senate.

The eight include Justices Jummai Sankey, Haruna Tsammani, Moore Adumein, Stephen Adah, Habeeb Abiru, Jamilu Tukur, Abubakar Umar, and Mohammed Idris

NJC spokesperson, Mr Soji Oye, who issued a statement on yesterday’s screening was silent on the fate of 11 other justices recommended to the NJC.

The NJC interview committee originally recommended 22 nominees to the Council.

Oye also announced that the NJC equally recommended the appointments of one Justice of Court of Appeal, six heads of courts and 26 other judicial officers.

The nominee for Court of Appeal is Justice Mohammed Ahmed Ramat while proposed state chief judges are Joel Filibus Agya (Taraba), and Umar Abubakar (Kebbi).

Also recommended to their various governors for appointment are nine high court judges for Kano State, four for Nasarawa State, two customary court judges for Ogun State, and one for Bayelsa.

The rest of the recommendations include:

• Four High Court Judges for Nasarawa State: Esther Mami Ejeh, Ibrahim Dauda Shekarau, Musa Muhammad Dallah, and Makama Tanze Benjamin
• Three Kadis for Zamfara State Sharia Court of Appeal: Aminu Abdullahi Gusau, Usman Hassan Gummi, and Hadi Sani.
• Two Kadis for Nasarawa Sharia Court of Appeal: Abubakar Ahmad Tijjani and Aliyu Ibrahim Ebbema,
• Nine high court judges for Kano: Fatima Adamu, Hauwa Lawal Umar, Musa Ahmad, Musa Daihur Mohammed, Farida Rabiu Danbappa, Halima Aliyu Nasir, Aisha Mahmoud, Adam Abdullahi, and Hanif Sanusi Yusuf
• One Judge for the Customary Court of Appeal, Bayelsa State, Opokuma David Lawrence, and two for Ogun State, Awoyomi Bolanle Adenike, and Lawal Adeniyi Olusanya.