Nigeria’s National Judicial Council (NJC) directed Imo State’s Judicial Service Commission to add Acting Chief Judge Ijeoma Agugua to the shortlist for the state’s substantive chief judge post, following a petition over her exclusion.
The council considered the petition at its 112th meeting on Nov. 3, chaired by Chief Justice of Nigeria Kudirat Motonmori Olatokunbo Kekere-Ekun. Bob Kay Njemanze submitted the petition, dated June 11, 2026, to challenge Agugua’s omission. The NJC described her as the most senior judge of the Imo State High Court.
The NJC’s announcement calls for the commission to put Agugua’s name on the list. The council also tasked its secretariat with sending a formal request about her inclusion. The commission advises the NJC on candidates, while the council decides whether those put forward are suitable.
The directive seeks to place Agugua in the selection process; it does not confirm that the commission has changed the shortlist. Nor does the announcement say the NJC has made a final recommendation or that Agugua has been appointed.
Under Section 271(1) of Nigeria’s Constitution, a state governor appoints a substantive chief judge on the NJC’s recommendation, subject to confirmation by the state House of Assembly. The commission’s candidate list and the NJC’s suitability review precede those steps.
The council has also intervened in Imo’s judicial leadership over acting appointments. In April 2025, it directed the governor to reverse Theophilus Nnamdi Nzeukwu’s appointment as acting chief judge and appoint the most senior High Court judge. That intervention cited Section 271(4), which governs acting appointments and is separate from the process for appointing a substantive chief judge.
The NJC’s Nov. 4 announcement did not name the other candidates on the shortlist or set a date for the next step.
