Thirty-four lawyers nominated for appointment as judges of Nigeria’s Federal High Court have been disqualified after failing an integrity screening conducted by the National Judicial Council (NJC), underscoring renewed efforts to strengthen transparency, accountability and public confidence in the judiciary.
The integrity assessment forms part of newly introduced guidelines approved by the NJC under the leadership of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun. The policy is aimed at preventing individuals with questionable character from being appointed to the bench.
The disqualified candidates were drawn from a pool of 62 lawyers nominated for appointment as Federal High Court judges. Their elimination followed the consideration of petitions and complaints submitted against them during the integrity review process.
Sources familiar with the development said only 28 nominees were cleared after the screening exercise and will now proceed to the interview stage before the NJC next month.
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It was gathered that all 62 applicants had earlier passed the computer-based test (CBT) conducted by the Federal High Court, after which their names were forwarded to the Federal Judicial Service Commission (FJSC) for further processing.
In line with established procedures, the FJSC implemented the integrity screening policy approved by the CJN by publishing the names of the candidates and inviting public feedback. The list of nominees was made public on September 17, 2025, allowing members of the public to submit information on the integrity, reputation and suitability of the candidates for judicial office.
Several petitions were reportedly received during the exercise. In one case, a female nominee was accused of demanding and receiving bribes while performing her official duties. The allegation was referred to the Police Service Commission (PSC) for investigation.
Following its investigation, the PSC reportedly confirmed that the nominee had demanded and received a bribe of ₦1 million in connection with a court matter handled by her office.
Based on findings from this and other petitions, the FJSC approved only 28 nominees for further consideration and forwarded their names to the NJC, while the remaining 34 candidates were dropped for failing to meet the integrity requirements.
The 28 shortlisted candidates are expected to be presented to the NJC at its meeting scheduled for January 2026. They will also undergo interviews by an NJC panel a few days ahead of the Council’s meeting, expected to hold in the second week of the month.
Confirming the development, Kemi Ogedegbe, NJC director of information, said the Council would meet between January 13 and 14 to deliberate on matters relating to the appointment process for the Federal High Court.
She said interviews for the shortlisted nominees would likely hold earlier in the week, ahead of the Council’s main meeting. Ogedegbe declined to comment on specific petitions but stressed that the NJC would not compromise on integrity or merit in judicial appointments, adding that only candidates found worthy after the interview process would be recommended for appointment.
Ladi Patrick-Okwoli
Oluwatosin Ogunjuyigbe is a writer and journalist who covers business, finance, technology, and the changing forces shaping Nigeria’s economy. He focuses on turning complex ideas into clear, compelling stories.
