Nigeria, Dec. 4 -- A Lagos-based advocacy group, Access to Justice, has dragged the National Judicial Council before the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court seeking to stop the appointment of Supreme Court judges' nominees citing circumvention of applicable judicial appointment guidelines.

The lawsuit, filed by Jude Ogodi and Joseph Otteh on behalf of the group, accused the respondents of failure to comply and ensure compliance with established judicial appointment procedures.

"They, in fact, circumvented aspects of those procedures which make the recruitment process transparent, fair, merit-based and competitive and further failed to disclose information that would enable interested persons monitor how the recruitment exercise was...