President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday asked the Senate to confirm the names of eight judges as Supreme Court justices.
In a letter read by Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, on the floor of the upper legislative chamber, Buhari premised his request on section 231(2) of the constitution as amended.
The letter reads, “Pursuant to 231(2) of the 1999 constitution as amended and upon the advice of the National Judicial Council, I hereby present for confirmation by the Senate, the appointment of the underlisted eight justices of the court of appeal as justices of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, according according to the rank of seniority at the court of appeal.”
The nominees are Helen M. Ogunwunmi (South-West), Ado Aboki (North-West), I. M. Saulawa (North-West), Adamu Joro (North-East), Samuel Oseji (South-South), Tijani Abubakar (North-East) and Emmanuel Agim (South-South) and Mohammed Garba (North-West Zone)
One of the newly appointed justices, Mohammed Garba, headed the 2019 Presidential Election Petition Tribunal and his inclusion on the list is said to be a compensation for his role in ensuring that Buhari returned elected.
Earlier in the year, the President and his cabals pushed for Garba to be appointed as President of the Court of Appeal despite the recommendation of Monica Bolna’an Dongban-Mense by the National Judicial Council but did not succeed due to massive outcry.
The NJC forwarded Dongban-Mensem’s name to Buhari for onward transmission to the Senate for confirmation but he refused to send her name for confirmation for several months.
Instead, the President appointed her in a protem position for months before he eventually sent her name for confirmation.
