The National Judicial Council (NJC) has begun screening the 22 justices nominated by the Federal Judicial Service Commission (FJSC) to fill vacant seats on the Supreme Court Bench.
The screening is taking place in the Boardroom of the NJC, and the exercise is presided over by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Olukayode Ariwoola.
Sources say some of the justices have also arrived for the high-level screening, while the panel’s sitting is expected to last for about a week before the final selection of 11 justices that will fill the vacant positions from among the 22 nominees.
On the 16th of November, it was reported that the Federal Judicial Service Commission (FJSC) nominated 22 justices of the Court of Appeal to the National Judicial Council (NJC) for elevation to the Supreme Court.
According to the FJSC document containing the 22 names, six of the nominees are from the North-Central region, while two are each from the South-West and the South-South.
The South-East region also has six nominees, while the North-East has two nominees.
List of the nominated justices:
(1) SOUTH EAST
1. Hon Justice Nwaoma Uwa (Abia State)-Priority
1A.Hon Justice Onyekachi Otisi (Abia State) -Reserve
2. Hon Justice Obande Ogbuinya (Ebonyi State)-Priority
2AHon Justice Theresa Orji-Abadua (Imo State)- Reserve
3Hon Justice Anthony Ogakwu (Enugu State)-Priority
3AHon Justice Chioma Nwosu-lheme (Imo State)-Reserve
(2)SOUTH SOUTH
1Hon Justice Moore Adumein (Bayelsa State)-Priority
1AHon Justice Biobele Georgewill (Rivers State)-Reserve
(3) SOUTH WEST
1Hon Justice Adewale Abiru (Lagos State)-Priority
1AHon Justice Olubunmi Oyewole (Osun State)-Reserve
(4)NORTH CENTRAL
1Hon Jummai Sankey (Plateau State)-Priority
1A Hon Justice Muhammad Ibrahim Sirajo (Plateau)-Reserve
2Hon Justice Stephen Adah (Kogi State)-Priority
2A Hon Justice Ridman Maiwada Abdullahi (Nassarawa State) -Reserve
3Hon Justice Baba Idris (Niger State)-Priority
3AHon Justice Joseph Ikyegh (Benue State)-Reserve
(5)NORTH EAST
1Hon Justice Haruna Simon Tsammani (Bauchi State)-Priority
1A Hon Justice Abubakar Talba (Adamawa State)
(6) NORTH WEST
1Hon Justice Muhammad Lawal Shuaibu (Jigawa State)-Priority
1A. Hon Justice Bello Aliyu (Zamfara State) -Reserve
2. Hon Justice Abubakar Sadiq Umar (Kebbi State)-Priority
2A Hon Justice Abdullahi Mahmud Bayero (Kano State)-Reserve