The National Judicial Council, (NJC) has faulted some media reports on the ongoing process for the appointment of judges for the Federal High Court of Nigeria.
NJC said all the screening and selection processes referred to in the media reports on the issue took place entirely at the level of the Federal Judicial Service Commission, (FJSC).
NJC’s Secretary, Ahmed Saleh, in a statement on Thursday, said no decision or action has been taken yet on the issue by the NJC.
Saleh confirmed that a number of applicants were dropped during the screening process at the FJSC level.
The statement read, “The National Judicial Council (NJC) has disowned a news report currently circulating on social and conventional media which alleged that 34 lawyers failed an integrity test and were consequently dropped from consideration for appointment as Judges of the Federal High Court of Nigeria.
“The council states categorically that the report is inaccurate and unauthorized, and therefore does
not reflect the true position of events as they transpired at the level of the Federal Judicial Service Commission (FJSC).
“For the avoidance of doubt, the processes referenced in the report were conducted entirely at the FJSC level, and no decision or action has yet been taken by the National Judicial Council in respect of the candidates concerned.
“The council further clarifies that while a few candidates were indeed discontinued from the process at the FJSC level based on adverse findings arising from petitions received by the commission, a number of others did not progress further simply because they failed to meet the
required qualifying score to advance to the interview stage before the NJC.
“Contrary to the impression conveyed by the media reports, the council emphasizes that there is no stand-alone or newly introduced “integrity test” whose failure automatically disqualified candidates en masse, as widely suggested.
“The judicial appointment process remains structured, merit-driven, and multi-layered, encompassing written examinations, performance benchmarks,
background verification, petition review where applicable, and interviews conducted strictly in accordance with established guidelines.
“The council notes with concern that the publication of inaccurate and speculative details has the potential to mislead the public and unjustly impugn the reputation of candidates who participated in the selection process in good faith.
“In view of the foregoing, the NJC has commenced internal investigations to ascertain the source of the unauthorized press statement and will take appropriate steps to protect the integrity and credibility of its processes.
“Council reassures Nigerians that it remains firmly committed to transparency, fairness, due process, and the highest standards of judicial integrity, and urges media practitioners to always seek clarification through authorized channels before publishing reports on sensitive institutional matters.”
