There are indications that the National Judicial Council (NJC) has dropped Mrs Amina Oyiza Bello, first wife of the former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, from the list of high court judges recommended for the Kogi State judiciary.
Findings indicate that NJC accepted four nominees namely Joseph Sunday Ajesola, Ojoma Rachel Ojoma, Bahamas Kadiri and Ezema Beatrice Ada.
In addition, the NJC recommended five Kadis and a judge for the Customary Court of Appeal.
The rejection of Yahaya Bello’s wife may not be unconnected with the stiff opposition against her nomination as a high court judge in Kogi State.
Recall that seven Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) had filed a lawsuit against the NJC and the Kogi State government, challenging Amina Yahaya-Bello’s inclusion in the list.
The lawsuit, filed on January 8 with Suit No: FCT/ABJ/CS/05/2024, argued that the selection process violated constitutional principles of fairness, equity, and merit.
The plaintiffs, including Chief Yunus Ustaz Usman and J.S. Okutepa, highlighted discrepancies in the appointment process, emphasising the need for transparency and adherence to established guidelines.
Prior to this legal action, 17 SANs from Kogi State had demanded the suspension of new judge appointments until specific criteria were met.
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In a letter addressed to Justice Josiah Majebi, Chief Judge and Chairman of Kogi State Judicial Service Commission, dated October 20, 2023, the lawyers emphasised the importance of fulfilling essential requirements such as adequate courtrooms, official vehicles, residential accommodation, and equipped libraries for judges.
Moreover, concerns were raised regarding the geographical representation of the candidates, with allegations of a lack of diversity in the proposed appointments.
The indigenous Kogi SANs pointed out that candidates for the Customary Court of Appeal predominantly hailed from Kogi Central, neglecting qualified individuals from other regions of the state.
Following these developments, Prof Chidi Odinkalu, former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, announced on his social media platform X (formerly Twitter) that the NJC had excluded Amina Bello from the list of nominees.
He praised the efforts of Yunus Ustaz Usman and other legal practitioners for advocating fairness and accountability in the judiciary.
Amina Oyiza Bello, born 2 April 1978, is a lawyer, businesswoman and philanthropist. She graduated in law from the Obafemi Awolowo University. She is the CEO of Fairplus International Ltd and founder of Hayat Foundation.
