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The Chief justice of Nigeria (CJN), Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad, has called for the nomination of judges for appointment to the Supreme Court. Six Justices To Be Appointed *Two Slots Are Available For The South East, One For South-South, One For South-West, One For North Central And One For North West

In a letter addressed to all judicial officers in Nigeria, the CJN said it has become necessary to fill the vacant position caused by the death and retirement of justices.  The letter stated as follows You may recall that Hon. Justice Olabode Rhodes-Vivour retired from judicial service on 23 March 2021 on attaining the age of 70 years, in compliance with the provision of Section 291 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended),” the letter reads. Earlier on, Hon. Justice Nwali Sylvester Ngwuta and Hon. Justice Samuel C. Oseji died on 7 March 2021 and 28 September 2021, respectively. Hon. Justice M.U. Peter Odili, Hon. Justice Ejembi Eko and Hon. Justice Abdu Aboki will also be retiring from judicial service in 2022 on attaining the age of 70 years, in compliance with the relevant provision of the constitution.

It is, therefore, necessary to take steps to replace them on the Supreme Court bench without delay. I shall be grateful, if you could nominate suitable candidates for consideration, bearing in mind that two of the slots are for south-east geo-political zone, one for south-south geo-political zone, one for south-west geo-political zone, one for north-central geo-political zone and one for north-west geo-political zone of the country. A total of six (6) justices are to be appointed. In making your submissions in respect of eligible candidates, you are requested to forward 10 judgments delivered in contested cases two (2) years preceding the date of nomination in the case of judicial officers and 10 judgments obtained in contested cases 5 years preceding the date of nomination in the case of legal practitioners in private practice, certified by competent authorities. You are requested to comment on the character, attitude and suitability of the candidates nominated by you. It was added that the nominations must be sent in no later than February 28, 2022.

The request for nomination announced by the Chief Justice of Nigeria is indeed a procedural prerequisite in a democratic system of government for the appointment of justices. The judiciary is an important part of the government as it is saddled with the responsibility of interpreting and ensuring that the laws of the land are adhered to. That is why the judiciary is often referred to as “the last hope of the common man”. Therefore, for a judiciary to be effective, one of the key concepts is that it has to be independent and impartial. The 1999 Constitution has attempted to give life to these trite concepts by creating certain provisions specifically to ensure the independence of the judiciary. This has to do with the process for appointment and removal of judges. It is hoped that the process for nominations will be made impartial as envisaged by the extant laws.