For nearly 20 months, Imo State has operated without a substantive Chief Judge, after the National Judicial Council (NJC) removed the last one for age falsification in November 2024. Now, Governor Hope Uzodinma is locked in a battle to install a loyalist, bypassing seniority and sparking fears of executive overreach.
The conflict echoes India’s 1973 constitutional crisis, when Prime Minister Indira Gandhi appointed Ajit Nath Ray as Chief Justice of India after he ruled against a Hindu monk challenging land reforms. Ray, junior to three justices who resigned, was chosen—as a minister later admitted—to end judicial confrontation with Parliament. That move triggered a quarter-century of turmoil until the seniority convention was restored.
In Imo, the NJC in April 2025 blocked the governor’s attempt to skip the three most senior judges and appoint the fourth as Acting Chief Judge. Reluctantly, Uzodinma appointed Ijeoma Ogugua, a 33-year veteran judge, to the acting role. But now, the Imo State Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has released a shortlist for the permanent position that omits Ogugua entirely, citing 2023 procedural rules that legal experts say don’t apply to Chief Judge appointments.
The JSC’s list includes only two candidates, excluding the most senior judge. Senior lawyers in the state allege the process was tainted by “envelopes” and coercion. Governor Uzodinma, who earlier argued the top three judges were “not appointable” based on unsubstantiated smears, refuses to let the NJC investigate his claims.
The Constitution gives the NJC the sole power to recommend a Chief Judge, reducing the JSC to an advisory role. Yet, the Imo JSC is acting as if it holds the reins. The Acting Chief Judge, Ogugua, has no adverse disciplinary record with the NJC. The ball now lies with Nigeria’s Chief Justice, who must decide whether to uphold the convention of seniority or let the governor own the judiciary.
This isn’t just about Imo. It’s about whether Nigeria’s state judiciaries remain independent or become tools for political convenience.
