The Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Bauchi Branch, has called on Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, to urgently intervene in the ongoing process for the appointment of seven new High Court judges in the state.
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The branch made the call during a press conference addressed by its leadership, led by Rabiu Garba, Esq., on the public notice issued by the Bauchi State Judicial Service Commission for the appointment of seven High Court judges, comprising five females and two males.
The NBA said the governor’s intervention had become necessary because he is known as “a respecter of the law” and should act to prevent what it described as a bad precedent in the Bauchi judiciary.
The branch said the Bauchi State Judicial Service Commission had published a public notice with Reference No. BAS/JSC/S/APP/3/VOL.III, dated April 27, 2026, titled: “Appointment Of Seven High Court Judges, Five Females And Two Males For Bauchi State, 2026.”
According to the NBA, the most troubling aspect of the notice was the gender classification of the available slots, which it said raised concerns among members of the branch.
The association said some of its members viewed the classification as discriminatory and contrary to the spirit and letters of Section 42(1) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which prohibits discrimination on grounds including sex, ethnic group, place of origin, religion or political opinion.
The NBA said that, in line with its motto, “Promoting The Rule Of Law,” it convened an emergency congress meeting on May 15, 2026, at the Bauchi Bar Centre to deliberate on the matter.
After about two hours of deliberation, the congress commended the Chief Judge of Bauchi State and Chairman of the Bauchi State Judicial Service Commission, Justice Rabi Talatu Umar, for securing seven judicial slots for the state.
However, the branch resolved that, as a body committed to the rule of law, it could not fold its arms and watch the Constitution being breached, whether knowingly or otherwise.
The NBA said the gender classification in the appointment process should be jettisoned in favour of merit-based criteria such as integrity, competence, capacity and capability, regardless of gender.
“This, the Congress believes, will go a long way in uplifting both the intellectual and moral standing of the Bauchi judiciary in the long run,” the branch stated.
The congress also resolved that the process should be transparent and open to all qualified applicants in line with Section 271(3) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
The NBA further demanded that the commission should stop what it described as the tacit exclusion of qualified legal practitioners outside the judiciary, including lawyers from the official and private Bar.
The branch said the best interest of justice would be served by creating a level playing field for all qualified applicants to participate in the process.
According to the NBA, allowing all eligible candidates to compete fairly would enable the state to appoint the best judicial officers.
“It is common knowledge that a vibrant judiciary churns out the best judges and lawyers to the nation, just as an intellectually weak and dormant judiciary supplies the worst judges and lawyers to the world,” the branch said.
The NBA therefore called on Justice Umar to review the entire arrangement in line with the congress resolutions, with a view to ensuring fairness, obedience to the Constitution and respect for the rule of law.
“From the foregoing, therefore, we strongly call on the Chairman of the Bauchi State Judicial Service Commission and Chief Judge of Bauchi State, Justice Rabi Talatu Umar, to review the entire arrangement in line with the congressional resolutions highlighted hereinbefore with a view to engendering fairness in the exercise and to ensure obedience to law and order,” the NBA said.
The branch expressed optimism that the commission would respond positively to its concerns and take necessary steps to ensure that the law is obeyed.
It, however, warned that if its concerns were not addressed, it would take all lawful measures available to protect the integrity of the process.
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