Next CJN: Commission sends Onnoghen’s name, two others
The Federal Judicial Service Commission
met on Wednesday and decided on three names to be considered as
successors to the outgoing Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mahmud
Mohammed, The PUNCH has learnt.
At the end of its meeting presided over
by its Chairman who is the incumbent CJN, the commission nominated the
next three most senior Justices of the Supreme Court to the National
Judicial Council.
Judiciary sources told our correspondent
that Justice Walter Onnoghen, who is the most favoured by the tradition
of succession arrangement in the judiciary being the next in rank to
the CJN, topped the FJSC’s list of nominees.
Justice Onnoghen was born in 1950 at
Okurike, Biase Local Government Area of Cross Rivers State, and was
appointed to the Supreme Court bench in 2005 (11 years ago).
The next on the list was JusticeTanko
Muhammad who was born on December 31, 1953 at Doguwa-Giade, Giade Local
Government Area of Bauchi State.
Justice Muhammad was appointed to the apex court bench on January 7, 2007 (nine years ago).
The third on the list was Justice Suleiman Galadima who was born in 1946 in Nasarawa State.
Justice Galadima was appointed to the Supreme Court bench in 2010 (six years ago).
The PUNCH had reported on Tuesday that
the NJC was set to convene an emergency meeting as soon as it received
the list of FJSC’s nominees.
Seniority of Justices are by dates of appointment to the apex court bench.
The FJSC conducts interviews and sends
names of three nominees to the NJC which also conducts similar
procedures and forwards two of the names to the President.
The President then makes the final
appointment by picking one of the two nominated by the NJC, though
subject to the approval of the Senate.
Usually, the next in rank to the outgoing CJN emerges as the successor.
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