Dismissing issed a suit filed by seven senior advocates of Nigeria against National Judicial Council (NJC) and others over alleged unlawful appointment of judges in Kogi.

Justice James Omotosho, in a judgment, held that the plaintiffs lacked locus standi to institute the action and that the suit itself lacked merit.

They argued that the same was marred by political and ethnic influence contrary to the provisions of Rule 3 (6)(i)-(iv) and Rule 4(4)(a) of the NJC Guidelines and Procedural Rules for the Appointment of Judicial Officers of all superior Courts of Records in Nigeria, 2014 and Section 153 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

They also alleged that the KSJS was doing the bidding of the governor.

The NJC, in its counter affidavit, urged the court to strike out the suit for want of jurisdiction.

The application was based on the grounds that the suit did not disclose a course of action against the NJC and that the plaintiffs lacked locus standi to file the matter

The 2nd to 4th, in their counter affidavit and a preliminary objection, prayed the court to dismiss the suit.

It would be recalled that the chief judge of the state, in a letter to the Lokoja Branch of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), shortlisted some judicial officers to be appointed into the state’s High Court, Sharia Court of Appeal and Customary Court of Appeal.

NAN reports that the NJC had suspended the process of the appointment of judges and kadis into the state’s judiciary, saying the development was to maintain a fair and just judicial system following a letter by the seven senior lawyers intimating it on a suit instituted against the appointment.