The National Judicial Council (NJC) has recommended 11 justices of the Court of Appeal for elevation to the Supreme Court bench.
Currently, there are only 10 justices on the Supreme Court bench.
The court is 11 justices short of its full complement of 21 jurists.
The recommendation of the 11 justices is made by the NJC to President Bola Tinubu, who has the power to approve the appointment of the candidates to the Supreme Court bench subject to Senate’s confirmation.
If the appointment of all the candidates are confirmed as soon as possible, the Supreme Court will have its full complement of 21 justices for the first time.
Senate confirmation of appointment justices has been more like a routine over the years.
The recommendation to Tinubu was made on Wednesday at a meeting of the NJC chaired by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Olukayode Ariwoola in Abuja.
A top source, who is not allowed to speak to the press over the matter yet, told this newspaper that details of the 11 justices for appointment to the badly depleted Supreme Court bench would be made public shortly.
The NJC is the statutory body vested with the responsibilities of hiring and disciplining erring judges in Nigeria.
Going by the procedure for the appointment of judges, Nigeria’s president will approve the names of the nominees subject to Senate confirmation before they would be administered oath of office.
Last month, the news broke that the NJC had received a list of 22 nominees for 11 openings on the Supreme Court bench.
The NJC is expected to pick 11 deserving candidates from the list and forward same to President Bola Tinubu, who shall appoint them to the Supreme Court bench, although, subject to Senate confirmation.
Below is the list of the 22 nominees with their states and zones of origins:
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
2A. Hon Justice Theresa Orji-Abadua (Imo State) – Reserve
3. Hon Justice Anthony Ogakwu (Enugu State) – Priority
3A. Hon Justice Chioma Nwosu-lheme (Imo State) – Reserve
SOUTH-SOUTH
1. Hon Justice Moore Adumein (Bayelsa State) – Priority1A. Hon Justice Biobele Georgewill (Rivers State) – Reserve
SOUTH-WEST
1. Hon Justice Adewale Abiru (Lagos State) – Priority
1A. Hon Justice Olubunmi Oyewole (Osun State) – Reserve
NORTH-CENTRAL
1. Hon Jummai Sankey (Plateau State) – Priority
1A. Hon Justice Muhammad Ibrahim Sirajo (Plateau) – Reserve
2. Hon Justice Stephen Adah (Kogi State) – Priority
2A. Hon Justice Ridman Maiwada Abdullahi (Nassarawa State) – Reserve
3. Hon Justice Baba Idris (Niger State) – Priority
3A. Hon Justice Joseph Ikyegh (Benue State) – Reserve
NORTH-EAST
1. Hon Justice Haruna Simon Tsammani (Bauchi State) – Priority
1A. Hon Justice Abubakar Talba (Adamawa State)
1. Hon 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.