Justice Walter Samuel Nkwanu Onnoghen, a local of Biase LGA of Cross River State is expectated to be the next in line to assume the position of Chief Justice Of Nigeria (CJN) , in the order of seniority as the tenure of the incumbent CJN, Mahmoud Mohammed from Taraba state, draws to an end.
Justice Mahmoud who took office as the 15th CJN on November 20, 2014 was born on November 10, 1946 and is due for retirement on November 10, 2016 having attained the retirement age of 70years. Crossriverwatch.com reports.
By convention, the next highest ranking Supreme Court Judge, is supposed to take over. But his chances may be scuttled if the President tows the line of some stakeholders who are suggesting that the next CJN should be appointed straight from the Bar as a way of breaking from the past and curbing endemic corruption in the judiciary.
While some argue that it is desirable to appoint a CJN from outside the long standing tradition, citing examples of Kenya which has done so and two distant instances of the first indigenous CJN, Sir Adetokunbo Ademola, 1958-1972 and Teslim Elias, 1972-1975, others say those who are making the suggestion are only being political.
They accused those pushing for a change in the succession order of technically trying to prevent a judge from the South from emerging CJN, in preference for a northern judge.
They argue that having delivered several judgements against the ruling APC in the governorship election cases in the South South states, the ruling party considers the present set of Justices of the Supreme Court as pro PDP and are afraid of having a Southern judge whose tenure will last till the 2019 election as CJN.
It will be recalled that the last time a Southerner was CJN was Justice Ayo Irekefe, 1985 – 1987. Ever since, for about 30 years non-stop, following the seniority succession system, it has been Northerners all the way.
Namely: Muhammed Bello, 1987 – 1995; Muhammed Uwais, 1995 – 2006; Modibo Alfa-Belgore, 2006 – 2007; Idris Kutigi, 2007 – 2010; Aloysius Katsina-Alu, 2010 – 2011; Dahiru Musdapher, 2011 – 2012; Aloma Mariam Mukhtar, 2012 – 2014; and Mahmud Mohammed, 2014 till date.
It is now the turn of Justice Walter Nkwanu Onnoghen if the succession order is not jettisoned. After him comes, again, two other Northerners, namely; Justice Ibrahim Tanko Mohammed and Justice Suleiman Galadima.
