S/Court vacancies: CJN excludes lawyers, shortlists 29 justices

The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Tanko Muhammad, has shunned the 23 lawyers who applied for the vacancy in the Supreme Court after a provisional 29-member list.

The list by the CJN, who doubles as Chairman, Federal Judicial Service Commission, sent to the Nigerian Bar Association, was received by its Judiciary Committee Chairman, Babatunde Ajibade, (SAN) on Monday.

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The list comprises 29 justices of the Court of Appeal from the five geopolitical zones.

They are to fill six present or expected vacancies on the Supreme Court’s maximum 21-member bench.

The shortlist includes five jurists each from the North Central, North West, South-South and South-West; while the South East has a nine-man jurist team.

The candidates and their zones are “A. North Central: 1. Justice Jummai Sankey, JCA, 2. Justice Stephen Jonah Adah, JCA, 3. Justice Sa’idu Tanko Hussain, JCA, 4. Justice Ridwan M. Abdullahi, JCA and 5. Justice Mohammed Baba Idris, JCA.

“B. Northwest: 1. Justice Ali Abubakar Babandi Gumel, JCA, 2. Justice Tani Yusuf Hassan, JCA, 3. Justice Mohammed Lawal Shuaibu, JCA, 4. Justice Jamilu Y. Tukur. JCA and 5. Justice Balkisu Bello Aliyu, JCA

“C. South East: 1. Justice Uzoamaka I. Ndukwe-Anyanwu, JCA, 2. Justice Chidiebere N. Uwa, JCA, 3. Justice Chioma Nwosu-Iheme, JCA, 4. Justice Theresa N. Orji-Abadua, JCA, 5. Justice Obande F. Ogbuinya, JCA, 6. Justice Uchechukwu Onyemenam, JCA, 7. Hon. Justice Onyekachi A. Otisi, JCA, 8. Justice Ugochukwu A. Ogakwu, JCA, 9. Justice Kenneth Ikechukwu Amadi, JCA.

“D. South-South: 1. Hon. Justice Moore A. Abraham Adumein, JCA, 2. Hon. Justice Biobele A. Georgewill, JCA, 3. Hon. Justice Frederick O. Oho, JCA, 4. Hon. Dr. Justice Abimbola O. Obaseki-Adejumo, JCA, and 5. Hon. Justice Ebiowei Tobi, JCA.

“E. South West, 1. Hon. Justice Oyebisi F. Omoleye, JCA, 2. Hon. Justice Tunde O. Omotoye, JCA, 3. Hon. Justice Habeeb A. O. Abiru, JCA, 4. Hon. Justice Peter Olabisi Ige, JCA, 5. Hon. Justice Joseph Olubunmi Kayode Oyewole, JCA.”

 Apart from the South East which will get two out of the six slots, and the North East excluded, the other zones will get one slot each on the apex court bench.

The CJN’s May 27 list requested the NBA to comment on the provisional shortlist of the nominated candidates.