The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Tanko Muhammad, has resigned, Premium Times reports. According to the paper, he resigned over poor health. I must commend Justice Muhammad for opening that lexicon in the Nigerian politics and governance system (you resign when you are unable to serve). I hope Justice recovers fully. We thank him for his service to the nation.
Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, the second in line, would be expected to be sworn in, in an acting capacity by the president, until a substantive CJN is confirmed by the Senate.
The next most senior Justice of the Supreme Court, Olukayode Ariwoola, who hails from Oyo State, is expected to be sworn in in acting capacity, sources at the Supreme Court who confirmed Mr Muhammad’s resignation, say.
The resignation by Mr Muhammad, 68, comes about 18 months ahead of his official retirement in December 2024, when he will clock 70.
Mr Muhammad’s abrupt exit comes at a time when his colleagues on the Supreme Court bench accused him of hampering the operations of the Supreme Court by failing to fund judges’ welfare as well as fueling of generators among others.
Recently, other justices in the Supreme Court accused Justice Muhammad of sub-par leadership.
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So, did he simply resign on account of poor health or his colleagues were planning a ‘coup’ against him?
Anyway, he was never competent enough to be CJN in the first place, not after mumbling the meaning of technicalities in judicial parlance. Just like Malami, both shouldn’t have been near the judiciary; it’s part what is wrong in the land.
Next person please.