The National Judicial Council (NJC) has finally nominated 11 qualified judges for nomination to the Supreme Court of Nigeria’s bench.
The suggestion was made by the council on Wednesday evening, along with six Heads of Court and 26 other Judicial Officers.
The NJC announced the new justices for the Supreme Court at its 104th meeting on December 6, 2023, in Abuja.
The announcement came barely two weeks after the Chairman of the Council and Chief Justice of Nigeria, Olukayode Ariwoola, stated that the highest court would receive 21 constitutionally mandated full complements in his own time.
According to a statement issued by the NJC Director of Information, Mr Soji Oye, those suggested include Justices Jummai Hannatu Sankey, Chidiebere Nwaoma Uwa, and Chioma Egondu Nwosu-Iheme Haruna. Moore Aseimo A. Adumein and Simon Tsammani.
Justices Obande Festus Ogbuiny, Stephen Jonah Adah, Habeeb Adewale O. Abiru, Jamilu Yammama Tukur, Abubakar Sadiq Umar, and Mohammed Baba Idris round out the panel.
One Justice for the Court of Appeal, six Heads of Court, and 26 other Judicial Officers are also proposed for appointment.
Justice Ahmed Ramat Mohammed of Abuja’s Federal High Court has been promoted to the Court of Appeal.
Others who have been recommended for appointments include:
Taraba State’s Chief Judge is Justice Joel Filibus Agya.
Kebbi State Chief Judge is Justice Umar Abubakar.
Grand Kadi for the Sharia Court of Appeal in Kebbi State is Hon. Kadi Sadiq Usman Mukhtar.
Justice A. O. Femi-Segun was elected President of the Customary Court of Appeal for Ogun State, and Justice Alfred Yakubu was elected President of the Customary Court of Appeal for Taraba State.
Tajudeen M. Abdulganiyu as President of the Oyo State Customary Court of Appeal.
Amaebi Ibomo Orukari has been recommended for nomination to the Bayelsa High Court. Akinyemi Martins Ayodele was nominated for the Ogun State High Court, and three others—Ama Edet Ekpo, Theresa Ansa Agom, and Jalarth Ogar Agim—were nominated for the Cross River State High Court.
Aminu Abdullahi Gusau, Usman Hassan Gummi, and Hadi Sani were recommended for the Zamfara Sharia Court of Appeal.
According to the NJC release, two Kadis, Abubakar Ahmad Tijjani and Aliyu Ibrahim Ebbema, have been appointed to the Nasarawa State Sharia Court of Appeal.
Fatima Adamu, Hauwa Lawal Umar, Musa Ahmad, Musa Daihuru Mohammed, Farida Rabiu Danbappa, Halima Aliyu Nasir, Aisha Mahmoud, Adam Abdullahi, and Hanif Sanusi Yusuf are also recommended for Kano State High Court.
Esther Mami Ejeh, Ibrahim Dauda Shekarau, Musa Muhammad Dallah, and Makama Tanze Benjamin were nominated for the Nasarawa State High Court.
Awoyomi Bolanle Adenike and Lawal Adeniyi Olusanya were recommended for appointment to the Ogun State Customary Court of Appeal, while Opokuma David Lawrence was recommended for the Bayelsa State Customary Court of Appeal.
The statement went on to say that all proposed candidates for the Supreme Court Bench would be sworn in when President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved their recommendation and the Senate confirmed their appointment.
Similarly, the various heads of court proposed would be sworn in when their nominations were approved by their respective state governors and confirmed by their respective state houses of assembly.