By Yemi Oyeyemi, Abuja
No fewer than 34 lawyers nominated for appointment as Judges of the Federal High Court of Nigeria (FHC) have been disqualified after failing the integrity test required for judicial appointment.
The integrity screening forms part of newly approved guidelines of the National Judicial Council (NJC) under the leadership of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun. The policy is aimed at eliminating candidates of questionable character from the judiciary.
The affected lawyers were among 62 applicants initially shortlisted for the Federal High Court bench but were eliminated following petitions submitted against them during the public feedback stage of the integrity test.
Reliable sources at the NJC disclosed that only 28 nominees, who received a clean bill of health, will now proceed to the Council’s interview panel scheduled for next month.
According to the source, the 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).
In line with established procedures, the FJSC applied the integrity test policy approved by the CJN by publishing the names of the 62 nominees to invite public feedback on their integrity, reputation, and suitability for judicial office. The publication was made on September 17, 2025.
Several petitions were received from members of the public. In one notable case, a female nominee was accused of demanding and receiving bribes in the course of her official duties. The matter was referred to the Police Service Commission (PSC) for investigation.
Following its investigation, the PSC reportedly confirmed that the nominee demanded and received a bribe of one million naira in relation to a court matter that passed through her office.
Based on the findings from this and other petitions, the FJSC upheld only 28 nominations and forwarded the names to the NJC, while dropping the remaining 34 candidates for failing the integrity test.
It was further gathered that the 28 shortlisted nominees will be presented to the NJC at its meeting scheduled for January 2026. They are expected to face the NJC interview panel a few days before the Council’s plenary meeting, which is slated for the second week of the month.
Confirming the development, the NJC Director of Information, Mrs. Kemi Ogedegbe, said the Council would meet between January 13 and 14 to deliberate on issues relating to the appointment process for Federal High Court Judges.
She explained that the shortlisted nominees would appear before the interview panel earlier in the week—likely on Monday and Tuesday—while the main Council meeting would hold on Wednesday and Thursday.
Mrs. Ogedegbe declined to comment on specific petitions but emphasized that the NJC remains resolute in maintaining high standards.
“Transparency and judicial integrity remain top priorities of the Kekere-Ekun-led administration. There is no going back on that. Merit will be the only consideration during the interview process, and only candidates found suitable will be recommended,” she said.
