ZYNGA NEWS

The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Olukayode Ariwoola has appointed Justice Mary Peter Odili, JSC (rtd), member of National Judicial Council (NJC). Her appointment was announced at the close of a send-off  dinner, hosted by the Body of Benchers in His Lordship's honour to conclude the tenure as chairman by the powers conferred on the Chief Justice of Nigeria, in line with the provisions of Paragraph 20 of Part One of the Third Schedule of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended.  Read Details of the composition of the NJC below: The National Judicial Council shall comprise the following Members: The Chief Justice of Nigeria, who shall be the Chairman; The next most senior Justice of the Supreme Court who shall be the Deputy Chairman; The President of the Court of Appeal; Five retired Justices selected by the Chief Justice of Nigeria from the Supreme Court or Court of Appeal; The Chief Judge of the Federal High Court; The President, National Indu

The Chief Judge of Akwa Ibom State, Justice Ekaete F. Fabian-Obot has requested the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Uyo Branch to nominate 8 qualified legal practitioners for appointment as High Court Judges. In a letter dated January 22nd, 2024, Justice Fabian-Obot indicated that the consent of the State Governor and approval of the National Judicial Council has been obtained for the appointment of 5 new judges for the state. The Chief Judge asked the NBA to forward nominations and reasons for each candidate on or before February 8, 2024.  This development comes as Akwa Ibom State aims to strengthen its judiciary through the appointment of more judges to support swift dispensation of justice and curriculum vitae must accompany the nominations. The request for NBA’s input is to ensure only competent and credible lawyers are elevated to the bench. The association is expected to assess aspirants based on set criteria. However, the Chief Judge’s action of seeking NBA’s counsel at this ini

  Former Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President, Mr. Olumide Akpata, has been relieved of his membership in the National Judicial Council (NJC), authoritative sources have confirmed. The decision was communicated via a letter to the incumbent NBA President, Mr. Yakubu Maikyau SAN, signed by the Chief Justice of Nigeria and NJC Chairman, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola.  He cited Mr. Akpata’s recent involvement in partisan politics as reason for the termination. Sources close to Mr. Akpata indicate he was taken aback by the decision and believes it is beyond the powers of the Chief Justice of Nigeria to unilaterally remove a member of the NJC on grounds of political involvement. His camp argues that this prerogative lies with the individual member.  They cited the example of former NJC member and Bauchi State Governor, Mohammed Abubakar, who voluntarily resigned his role in 2015 to pursue his political ambition. While said to be deeply troubled by the turn of events, Mr. Akpata is reluctan