— Applicants Allege Federal High Court Refused to Publish CBT Results Despite Transparency Concerns

Fresh allegations of corruption have emerged over the ongoing appointment process for judges of the Federal High Court, with some applicants accusing judicial authorities of manipulating results and shortlisting candidates who allegedly failed the qualifying examination, SaharaReporters has reported.

Some of the applicants told SaharaReporters that the controversy followed a computer-based test (CBT) conducted in September 2025 for prospective Federal High Court judges.

According to the applicants, although candidates were invited to take the examination and were able to view their individual scores immediately after the test, the Federal High Court failed to publish the full results publicly, raising concerns about transparency and fairness in the selection process.

“Just as you know that there is serious corruption in Nigerian judiciary; this time around, the corruption has reared its ugly head again in judicial appointment in Federal High Court,” one of the candidates told SaharaReporters.

The applicants argued that the refusal to publish the CBT results has made it impossible to independently verify whether those announced as successful candidates actually met the required benchmarks.

“After the test was taken, the Federal High Court refused to make the results public although upon the conclusion of the test, the candidates saw their individual results right away but for transparency sake, it ought to be published so that those whose names were published as successful candidates will be seen as successful candidates indeed based on their results from the computer-based test,” the source said.

They further alleged that several candidates whose names appeared on the final list did not perform well in the examination.

“The truth is that many of the persons whose names were published as successful candidates were actually not successful in the exams as they scored below 30 percent and below 25 percent,” one of the applicants told SaharaReporters.

According to the candidates, connections within the judiciary, rather than merit, influenced the outcome of the selection exercise.

“Their only qualification is that they are connected to the ‘who is who’ in the judiciary,” the source added.

The candidates specifically pointed to alleged irregularities in the lists released for Abia and Nasarawa states.

Raising the alarm over what they described as an imminent injustice, the applicants warned that the National Judicial Council (NJC) was set to formally approve and inaugurate candidates they believe were wrongly shortlisted.

“We really need the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court and the Federal Judicial Service Commission to publish the results of the computer-based test,” one of the applicants said.

“The NJC is about to inaugurate these wrong candidates whose names have been published as successful candidates.”

The applicants are demanding that:

  1. The Chief Judge of the Federal High Court publish the full results of the computer-based test
  2. The Federal Judicial Service Commission make the results public for independent verification
  3. The selection process be reviewed to ensure only candidates who met the required benchmarks are shortlisted
  4. The NJC suspend any planned inauguration until the allegations are properly investigated

The allegations come amid broader concerns about corruption and lack of transparency in judicial appointments in Nigeria.

The shortlisting of unqualified candidates based on connections rather than merit would also call into question the quality of justice delivered by judges so appointed.

______________________________________________________________________ “Timely And Groundbreaking” — Babalola, Nnawuchi Release Casebook On Privacy & Data Protection In NigeriaA timely new publication, Casebook on Privacy & Data Protection in Nigeria, co-authored by Olumide Babalola and Uchenna Nnawuchi,📘Casebook on Privacy & Data Protection in Nigeria is now available on Amazon:https://a.co/d/8TmFZrd ______________________________________________________________________ [A MUST HAVE] Evidence Act Demystified With Recent And Contemporary Cases And Materials
“Evidence Act: Complete Annotation” by renowned legal experts Sanni & Etti.
Available now for NGN 40,000 at ASC Publications, 10, Boyle Street, Onikan, Lagos. Beside High Court, TBS. Email publications@ayindesanni.com or WhatsApp +2347056667384. Purchase Link: https://paystack.com/buy/evidence-act-complete-annotation ______________________________________________________________________ “Artificial Intelligence for Lawyers: A Comprehensive Guide”, authored by Ben Ijeoma Adigwe Esq., ACiarb (UK), LL.M, Dip. in Artificial Intelligence, Director at the Delta State Ministry of Justice, Asaba, Nigeria. How to Order: 📞 Call, Text, or WhatsApp: 08034917063 | 07055285878 📧 Email: benadigwe1@gmail.com 🌎 Website: www.benadigwe.com Ebook Version: Access it directly online at https://selar.com/prv626   _____________________________________________________________________