With less than 48
hours to the expiration of the tenure of the acting Chief Justice of
Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen, President Muhammadu Buhari has
asked Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo to forward his name to the Senate for
confirmation.
Buhari
in a letter said his name should be transmitted to the upper chamber
before February 10 when Onnoghen’s tenure in acting capacity would
elapse, The Cable reports.
The letter reads in part: “Your
Excellency may recall that I sent a letter dated 10th November, 2016,
to Honourable Jutice Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen CFR, appointing him as
acting chief justice of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
“His
acting appointment is due to lapse on the 10th of February, 2017. I am
therefore, authorising you to write to the Distinguished Senate, in
conformity with section 231 (1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria as amended, requesting for the confirmation of the
same Honourable Jutice Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen CFR, as the
substantive Chief Justice of the Federation with effect from the date of
the senate confirmation.
“Please accept, Mr Acting President, the assurances of my kind regards.”
According
to Leadership, a source close to the office of the Senate President,
confirmed that Senate President Bukola Saraki received the letter on
Tuesday, February 7, demanding the senate to screen and confirm Justice
Onnoghen as the substantive CJN.
There have been controversies over the delay in the confirmation of Onnoghen, with many accusing the president of ethnic bias.
Onnoghen
takes over from Justice Mahmud Mohammed who retired after attaining the
mandatory retirement age of 70 years. He becomes the first southerner
since 1980 to assume the position of Chief Justice of Nigeria.
Abubakar Dangiwa Umar, former
military governor of Kaduna state, had urged the senate not to confirm
any nominee apart from Walter Onnoghen.
Onnoghen had appreciated the interest of Nigerians in the issue, but called for restraint.
“Nigerians
should allow President, Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, a free hand to perform
his constitutional duties concerning the appointment of a substantive
chief justice of Nigeria,” he had said in a statement issued on his behalf by Awassam Bassey, his media aide.
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