Factors behind nomination of 22 new S/Court justices

The nomination of 22 justices for elevation to the Supreme Court bench has been attributed to the ongoing pressures to fill the vacancies at the nation’s apex court.

The Federal Judicial Service Commission (FJSC) had on Thursday listed 22 justices to fill the vacancies on the bench from the six geopolitical zones according to the gaps observed.

The document shows that the list has been sent to the National Judicial Council (NJC) for further action.

The list include: North Central: Jumai Sankey (Plateau, priority); Muhammed Ibrahim Sirajo (Plateau, reserve); Stephen Adah (Kogi, priority); Ridman Maiwada Abdullahi (Nasarawa, reserve); Baba Idris (Niger, priority); and Joseph Ikyegh (Benue, reserve).

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For the North East, the list comprises Haruna Tsammani (Bauchi, priority) and Abubakar Talba (Adamawa).

The list from the North West comprises of Muhammad Lawal Shuaibu (Jigawa, priority); Bello Aliyu (Zamfara, reserve); Abubakar Sadiq Umar (Kebbi, priority); and Abdullahi Mahmud Bayero (Kano, reserve).

The South East list has Chidiebere Nwaoma Uwa (Abia, priority); Onyekachi Otisi (Abia, reserve); Obande Ogbuinya (Ebonyi, priority); Theresa Orji-Abadua (Imo, reserve); Chioma Nwosu-Iheme (Imo, reserve) and Anthony Ogakwu (Enugu, priority).

South South has Moore Adumein (Bayelsa, priority) and Biobele Georgewill (Rivers, reserve).

South West has Adewale Abiru (Lagos, priority) and Olubunmi Oyewole (Osun, reserve).

Sources say the nomination of the 22 justices followed the growing gaps left by the death or retirement of 12 of the justices in the last two years, which made the apex court short on the 21 justices provided in Section 230 of the Nigerian Constitution, 1999.

The complaint by retired Supreme Court, Justice Musa Dattijo Muhammad, who had on October 27 spoken over the reducing number of justices of the Supreme Court from the constitutionally guaranteed number, is one of the factors believed to have influenced the move to fill up the vacancies.