Following viral report alleging failure of “integrity test” by 34 unnamed nominees for judicial appointments, the National Judicial Council, NJC says it is not aware of such.
The Council issued the disclaimer in a statement signed by its Secretary, Ahmed Gambo Saleh.
Below is the full text of the statement:
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 unauthorised, 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.
MUST READ: Maresca leaves Chelsea as manager amid poor results
Contrary to the impression conveyed by the media reports, the Council emphasises 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 unauthorised press statement and will take appropriate steps to protect the integrity and credibility of its processes.
The 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 authorised channels before publishing reports on sensitive institutional
matters.
Signed:
Ahmed Gambo Saleh, Esq.
Secretary,
National Judicial Council
(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
