The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Kayode Ariwoola has approved the promotion of Justice Eberechi Suzette Wike, the wife of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike, and 21 other justices to the Court of Appeal.
This comes as part of the reshuffling of judicial appointments following the retirement of senior jurists.
Out of 89 judges nominated for elevation, Justice Wike is among the 22 selected to fill vacancies within the Court of Appeal.
It was gathered 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.
Acting on the names forwarded, CJN Ariwoola approved Ms Wike’s name, and 21 others on the priority list sent to President Bola Tinubu for appointment. The document, which Mr Ariwoola signed on April 2, 2024, was marked FJSC/01/2024.
A fresh list obtained by The Gazette titled ‘Appointment of 22 justices to the Court of Appeal’ showed 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).
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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.
