A non-profit, non-governmental organization, Access To Justice has dragged Federal Judicial Service Commission, FJSC, and the National Judicial Council, NJC, to court over the recent nominations of a Supreme Court Justices.
In a suit marked, FHC/ABJ/CS/1460/2019 filed at the Abuja division of the Federal High Court also names Justice Tanko Muhammed, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Senator Ahmed Lawan, the President of the Nigerian Senate and President Muhammadu Buhari, as respondents in the suit.
National Judicial Council had recommended four Justices of the Court of Appeal after it’s meeting to address President Muhammadu Buhari request for more Justices at the Supreme Court.
The nominees are Justices Adamu Jauro, Emmanuel Agim, C. Oseji and Helen Ogunwumiju.
The lawsuit, filed on behalf of Access to Justice by Messrs Jude Ogodi and Joseph Otteh alleged that the FJSC and the NJC failed to comply and ensure compliance with the established judicial appointment procedures in appointing those Justices.
Also that the judicial body circumvented aspects of those procedures which make the recruitment process transparent, fair, merit-based and competitive and further failed to disclose information that would enable interested persons monitor how the recruitment exercise was done.
The Applicant, Access to Justice who has been working towards reform of Nigeria’s Judiciary and advocating for a strong, independent, impartial, transparent and accountable Judiciary wants the court to stop the process.
