– The air has been cleared over the confirmation of Acting Chief Justice Walter Onnoghen
– Contrary to speculations, it has emerged at the weekend that it was President Muhammadu Buhari who approved of the move
– The president was said to have directed Acting President Yemi Osinbajo to submit Onnoghen’s name to the Senate
A report by Thisday indicates that President Muhammadu Buhari actually directed Acting President Yemi Osinbajo to submit the name of Acting Chief Justice Walter Onnoghen’s name to the Senate for confirmation.
President Buhari and Justice Walter Onnoghen
This is contrary to some media reports which claimed Osinbajo acted on his own in taking the decision.
According to the report, Buhari wrote Osinbajo on Sunday, February 5, informing him of his earlier decision to appoint Onnoghen in acting capacity and that his tenure would expire at the end of the legally stipulated term of three months.
He therefore directed Osinbajo to forward Onnoghen’s name to the National Assembly for confirmation as chief justice to forestall any legal lacuna.
The acting president consequently forwarded Onnoghen’s name to the National Assembly on Tuesday, February 7 requesting that he be confirmed.
Osinbajo forwarded Onnoghen’s name to the National Assembly on Tuesday, February 7
Osinbajo’s letter was however not read until Tuesday, February 21 when the Senate reconvened from a three-week break.
There had been insinuations in some quarters that had the president not been on leave, Onnoghen’s name would not have been sent for confirmation.
The National Judicial Council (NJC) headed by the immediate past CJN, Justice Mahmud Mohammed, had on October 12, 2016 recommended and forwarded Onnoghen’s name to the president for appointment as the next CJN in line with Section 231 (1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
Consequently, President Buhari swore in Justice Onnoghen who was the most senior justice of the Supreme Court as the acting CJN in line with Section 231 (4) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
However, the delay by President Buhari to forward Onnoghen’s name to the Senate for confirmation and subsequently to appoint him as the substantive CJN began to generate heat in the polity and drew reactions from some individuals and groups in the country.
There were speculations that the president was not disposed to making Onnoghen – the first southerner to emerge CJN in line with the judiciary’s succession tradition in nearly 30 years – a substantive CJN.
Onnoghen, 66, hails from Cross River state in the South-South region.
To re-affirm their position, the NJC had re-nominated Onnoghen for the position on Thursday, February 9, a day before the expiration of his three-month tenure.
The acting CJN is currently awaiting confirmation of his appointment by the Senate.
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