There are reports that President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed Justice Walter Onnoghen as the replacement to the outgoing Chief Justice Mahmud Mohammed whose tenure came to an end on Wednesday, November 9, 2016.
Ordinarily, the president ought to have forwarded a replacement to the senate for confirmation, but he hasn’t raising uncertainty that a lacuna would exist in the highest seat on the judiciary.
The spokesman of the president, Garba Shehu, however said that there is no prospect for confusion as the president would inaugurate an acting CJN later on Thursday, November 10, 2016.
“An acting CJN will be sworn in by President Muhammadu Buhari at 2.00 pm Thursday,” he stated in a text message, adding that he had no information about who would be appointed into the office. The Attorney-General of the Federation will present the person to the president tomorrow for swearing-in,” he said.
He however did not state who the chosen successor would be.
Thisday newspaper is however quoting a source who says that Onnoghen who is the choice of the NJC as the most senior justice of the court, would be appointed.
A reliable source, however, told ThisDay on Wednesday that the most senior justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Walter Onnoghen, might be the choice of the president in line with Section 230 (4) of the 1999 Constitution as amended, which provides: “If the office of the Chief Justice of Nigeria is vacant or if the person holding the office is for any reason unable to perform the functions of the office, then until a person has been appointed to and has assumed the functions of that office, or until the person holding the office has resumed those functions, the president shall appoint the most senior justice of the Supreme Court to perform those functions.”
