Acting CJN Asks NBA to Nominate Lawyers for Appointment into Supreme Court

Tobi Soniyi in Abuja

Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen, has given legal practitioners just three days to apply for appointment as justices of the Supreme Court.

In a notice issued yesterday by the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr. Abubakar Mahmoud (SAN), the acting CJN asked the NBA to nominate suitably qualified legal practitioners to apply for appointment as Justice of the Supreme Court.

This notice read: “Pursuant to Section 231(2) of the 1999 Constitution, the acting CJN has invited the NBA to nominate suitably qualified legal practitioners to apply for appointment as a justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

“Interested legal practitioners are hereby required to send their hard copy profile to the following address: NBA House, 8th Floor,

Office of the President, Plot 1101 Muhammadu Buhari Way, Central Business District, Abuja, FCT.
“Lawyers can also send their profile by email to: info@nigerianbar.org.ng andinfo1@nigerianbar.org.ng.
“The deadline for the submission of profile shall be on February 3, 2017 at 5p.m. prompt.

“Please take note that this notice is urgent and important and the deadline shall not be extended.”

This announcement confirmed speculation that the presidency prefers to appoint Chief Justice of Nigeria from outside the present crops of justices in the bench.
Prior to this announcement, justices of the Supreme Court were opposed to appointing a lawyer directly to the apex bench.

It is not clear whether the acting CJN was put under pressure to succumb to the idea of appointing lawyers directly to the apex court.