The National Judicial Council (NJC) has issued a clarification regarding the ongoing process for appointing new judges to the Federal High Court (FHC) of Nigeria, stating that no final decision has been made on the 62 legal practitioners who applied.
NJC Refutes Media Reports on Integrity Test Failures
In a statement released on 2 January 2026 and signed by its Secretary, Ahmed Saleh, the NJC strongly denied recent media reports claiming that 34 of the applicants had failed an integrity test and were consequently dropped from consideration. The council described these reports as "inaccurate and unauthorised."
The NJC asserted that the reports did not reflect the actual events of the judicial appointment process. It clarified that all qualification procedures mentioned in the earlier news story were conducted solely by the Federal Judicial Service Commission (FJSC), not the NJC itself. The council emphasised it has not taken any final decision or action concerning the candidates in question.
Details of the FJSC Screening Process
The council provided further details on how the FJSC stage of the process unfolded. It explained that a small number of candidates were discontinued at that preliminary stage due to adverse findings from petitions submitted to the FJSC.
Other applicants did not advance simply because they failed to achieve the required qualifying score needed to progress to the interview stage before the NJC. The NJC specifically stated that there was no stand-alone or newly introduced "integrity test" that led to the bulk disqualification of candidates, as had been suggested.
The council expressed concern that the publication of such speculative information could mislead the public and unfairly damage the reputations of candidates who participated in the process in good faith.
NBA Anti-Corruption Committee Warns of Eroding Trust
In a related development, the Nigerian Bar Association Anti-Corruption Committee (NBA-ACC) has raised a serious alarm. In a New Year message, the committee warned that unresolved corruption allegations involving legal practitioners are undermining public confidence in Nigeria's justice system and weakening the rule of law.
The committee's Chairman, Babafemi Badejo, acknowledged that the NBA made progress in 2025 by institutionalising anti-corruption measures. A key milestone was the approval by the NBA National Executive Committee (NEC) to establish anti-corruption committees at branch levels nationwide.
This decentralised structure aims to strengthen grassroots engagement, localise ethical oversight, and embed anti-corruption vigilance across the legal profession. Badejo also noted the growing commitment reflected by many NBA branches observing World Anti-Corruption Day in 2025.
However, Badejo tempered this optimism with profound concern. "Prolonged silence and delays around high-profile corruption allegations posed serious risks to accountability and transparency," he stated. He added that such developments threaten to erode public trust in Nigeria's legal and anti-corruption institutions.
Looking forward, the NBA-ACC plans to intensify its work in 2026 through strategic partnerships, including collaboration with the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria and engagement with civil society organisations for training and public enlightenment programmes.
