Eberechi Suzette Wike, wife of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and 21 others have made it to the final list of the Court of Appeal judges.
The President of the Court of Appeal, Hon. Justice M.B Dongban-Mensem had requested the appointment of 22 new Justices to the Court of Appeal, which included Eberechi Suzette Wike.
Justice Eberechi Suzette Wike from Rivers Judicial Council was on the list of priority nominees sent to the Federal Judicial Council Commission.
In May, it was reported that the National Judicial Council at its plenary of 105th meeting held on May 15 and 16, 2024, approved the appointment of 86 Judicial Officers for Federal and State courts.
The council at the meeting also considered the recommendation of its Interview Committee on the Appointment of Judicial Officers of all Superior Courts of Record in Nigeria and resolved to recommend the 86 Judicial Officers for appointment to the Court of Appeal, High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Sharia Courts of Appeal and Customary Courts of Appeal of States in Nigeria.
It noted that all recommended candidates were expected to be sworn in after the approval of the NJC recommendations to the President and their respective state governors.
Eberechi Suzette, whose husband was also the immediate former Governor of Rivers State, was on the list.
Apart from Wike’s wife who made the final cut, SaharaReporters learnt the following judges also made the list: Polycarp Tema Kwahar (Benue), Ruqayat Ayoola (Kogi), Eneche Eleojo (Kogi), Asmara Akanbi Yusuf (Kwara), Abdullahi Muhammad Liman (Nasarawa), Abdu Dogo (FCT), and Fadahu Umaru (Borno).
Others are Ishaq Mohammed Sani (Kaduna), Zainab Bage Abubakar (Kebbi), Abdulaziz M. Ankara (Zamfara), Nnamdi Okwy Dimga Victoria (Abia), Toochukwu Nwoye (Anambra), Henry Aja-Onu Njoku (Ebonyi), Donatus Uwaezuoke Okorowo (Enugu), Ngozika N Okaisabor (Imo), Ntong Festus Ntong (Akwa-Ibom), Nehizena Idemudia Afolabi (Edo), Lateef Babajide Lawal-Akapo (Lagos), Abiodun Azeem Akinyemi (Ogun), Oyewumi Oyejoju Oyebiola (Oyo), and Bayo Ademola Taiwo (Oyo).
It was earlier reported that members of the Federal Judicial Service Commission had advised the National Judicial Council to nominate Wike’s wife and the other 21 judges 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 Wike.
At the event, Ariwoola backed his kinsman and Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, for his membership of the G5, which was led by Wike.
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 governors called for fairness in the PDP, insisting that the then-National Chairman of the party, Senator Iyorchia 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,” Ariwoola had said.
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