Nigeria’s Justice Eberechi Suzzette Nyesom-Wike from Rivers Judicial Council is on the list of nominees priority nominees sent to the Federal Judicial Council Commission.
The President of the Court of Appeal, Hon. Justice M.B Dongban-Mensem has requested the appointment of 22 new Justice s to the Court of Appeal, which include the wife of Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
Justice Eberechi Suzzette Nyesom-Wike from Rivers Judicial Council is on the list of nominees priority nominees sent to the Federal Judicial Council Commission.
This follows the creation of vacancies by the elevation and retirement of some Justices of the Court of Appeal.
We learnt that the Federal Judicial Service Commission at its 92nd Meeting held on March 27, 2024, considered the Judges nominated by judicial officers of superior courts in Nigeria.
Eighty-nine names were forwarded by the President of the Court of Appeal to the Commission, urging the approval of 22 out of the 89 candidates for onward transmission to the National Judicial Council for consideration and appointment as Justices of the Court of Appeal.
We learnt that members of the Federal Judicial Service Commission have advised the National Judicial Council to nominate the following 22 persons as their priority for appointment as Justice of the Court of Appeal.
Justice Olukayode Ariwoola is the head of both the FJSC and the National Judicial Council.
In 2022, Ariwoola attended a dinner held in his honour in Port Harcourt by the Rivers State Government under then-Governor Nyesom Wike.
Ariwoola backed his kinsman and Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, for his membership of the G5.
The G5 comprised five aggrieved Peoples Democratic Party governors – Wike, then-Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, then-Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and then-Enugu Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.
The aggrieved governor called for fairness in the PDP, insisting that the then-National Chairman of the party, Senator Iyorcha Ayu, must step down to pave the way for someone from the South to succeed him, since the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, hails from the North.
“That is why we should not be scared to have these men of the integrity group. And I am happy that my own governor is among them because he would try to imitate his friend and in-law because we came here to marry for my governor.
“So, Governor Wike will always threaten that he will call back his sister if my governor fails to play ball. That is why you see him following his Excellency (Wike) because my governor is afraid of his wife being recalled,” he had said.
The nominees on the priority list as obtained by SaharaReporters for North-Central are as follows: Hon. Justice Polycarp Tema Kwahar, Benue; Hon. Justice Ruqayat Oremei Ayoola, Kogi; Hon. Justice Eneche Eleojo, Kogi; Hon. Justice Asma’u Akanbi-Yusuf, Kwara; Hon. Justice Abdullahi Muhammad Liman, Nasarawa; Hon. Justice Abdu Dogo, FCT
The nominee for North-East is Hon. Justice Fadawu Umaru, Borno.
North-West: Hon. Justice Ishaq Mohammed Sani; Kaduna; Hon Justice Zainab Bage Abubakar, Kebbi; Hon. Justice Abdulazeez M. Anka, Zamfara.
South-East: Hon. Justice Nnamdi Okwy Dimga, Abia; Hon. Justice Victoria Toochukwu Nwoye, Anambra; Hon. Justice Henry Aja-Onu Njoku, Ebonyi; Hon. Justice Donatus Uwnezuoke Okorowo, Enugu and Hon. Justice Ngozika N. Okaisabor, Imo.
South-South:
Hon. Justice Ntong Festus Ntong -Akwa Ibom
Hon. Justice Nehizena Idemudia Afolabi -Edo
Hon. Justice Eberechi Suzzette Nyesom-Wike – Rivers
South-West
Hon. Justice Lateef Babajide Lawal-Akapo – Lagos
Hon. Justice Abiodun Azeem Akinyemi – Ogun
Hon. Justice Oyewumi Oyejoju Oyebiola – Oyo
4. Hon. Justice Bayo Ademola Taiwo – Oyo
The nominees on the reserve list are as follows:
North-Central
Hon. Justice Dorcas Venenge Agishi – Benue
Hon. Justice Dr. Folajobi Ajayi – Kogi
Hon. Justice Adamu Yahaya – Kogi
Hon. Justice Toyin Bolaji Adegoke – Kwara
Hon. Justice Rose Godwin Soji – Nasarawa
Hon. Justice Jacob Azi Atsem – Plateau
North-East
Hon, Justice Abdulhameed Mohammed Yakubu – Gombe
North-West
Hon. Justice Isa Aliyu – Kaduna
Hon. Justice Bello Ladan Raha – Kebbi
Hon. Justice Bello Mohammed Shinkafi – Zamfara
South-East
Hon. Justice Ory Zit-Tkeorha- Abia
Hon. Justice Obiora Atuegwu Egwuatu -Anambra
Hon. Justice Uwabunkeonye Onwosi – Ebonyi
Hon, Justice Chukwujckwu Joseph Aneke – Enugu
Hon. Justice Chikere Annie Ononeje-Madu – Imo
South-South
Hon. Justice Augustine Dominic Odokwo -Akwa Ibom
Hon. Justice Abua Elias Ojie – Cross River
Hon. Justice Victor Oziegbe Aghabue Oviawe – Edo
South-West
Hon. Justice Ogunjobi O. Olukayode – Lagos
Hon. Justice James Kolawole Omotosho – Ogun
Hon. Justice Mojeed Oladimeji Ishola – Oyo
Hon. Justice Olukayode Adegbola Adeniyi – Oyo
The document signed by the Chief Justice of Nigeria and Chairman of the Federal Judicial Service Commission, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola on August 2, 2024, said, “Members of the National Judicial Council are hereby invited in line with Paragraph 21(a)) of Part I to the Third Schedule of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), to recommend to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the appointment of twenty-two (22) candidates listed in the priority list as Justices of the Court of Appeal.”
According to a report, Eberechi Suzette Wike, wife of FCT minister Nyesom Wike, has been promoted from the Rivers High Court to the Court of Appeal, We learnt.
Of the 89 judges nominated for promotion following the retirement of some senior jurists, only 22 judges were selected to fill available positions.
Chief Justice of Nigeria Kayode Ariwoola approved Ms Wike’s name and 21 others on the priority list sent to President Tinubu for appointment. The document, which Mr Ariwoola signed on April 2, 2024, was marked FJSC/01/2024.
The new jurists were appointed from the pool of states and federal high court judges from all six geopolitical zones.
Justices Polycarp Tema Kwahar (Benue), Ruqayat Ayoola (Kogi), Eneche Eleojo (Kogi), Asmara Akanbi Yusuf (Kwara), Abdullahi Muhammad Liman (Nasarawa) and Abdu Dogo (FCT) were appointed North-Central.
Only Justice Fadahu Umaru, a Borno state indigene, was appointed from the North East.
For the North-West, approved justices are Ishaq Mohammed Sani (Kaduna), Zainab Bage Abubakar (Kebbi) and Abdulaziz M. Ankara (Zamfara).
Newly recommended judges from the South-East include Nnamdi Okwy Dimga Victoria (Abia) Toochukwu Nwoye (Anambra), Henry Aja-Onu Njoku (Ebonyi), Donatus Uwaezuoke Okorowo (Enugu) and Ngozika N Okaisabor (Imo).
For the South-South region, Justices Ntong Festus Ntong (Akwa-Ibom), Nehizena Idemudia Afolabi (Edo) and Ms Nyesom-Wike (Rivers) were recommended for promotion.
While justices Lateef Babajide Lawal-Akapo (Lagos), Abiodun Azeem Akinyemi (Ogun), Oyewumi Oyejoju Oyebiola (Oyo) and Bayo Ademola Taiwo (Oyo) were named for elevation in the South-West region.
