The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Tanko Muhammad, has on Monday resigned his role as Nigeria’s CJN at 68 years old.
Driving the news
The Special Assistant on Media, Mr. Isah Ahuraka, confirmed the news of the Justice resignation to a Nigerian news outlet today, June 27th 2022. Sources say that Justice Tanko Muhammad resigned based on ill health.
- Meanwhile, Justice Ariwoola, a Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria slated to retire by 2028, will be sworn-in as the interim Chief Justice of Nigeria.
- The 64-year-old, Justice Ariwoola, is the most senior of all the Justices in Nigeria after the resigned Justice Tanko Muhammad.
What you should know
- The resignation of the CJN is coming days after a protest letter by his brother justices.
- 14 Justices of the Supreme Court reportedly signed the leaked letter which surfaced last week and directed it to the resigned CJN, Justice Tanko Muhammad. The letter was a complaint about the poor condition of the courthouse.
- In the protest letter, the Justices listed issues including lack of diesel allowance, lack of sophisticated offices for the Justices, accommodation and many more.
- Responding to the letter, Chief Justice Tanko Muhammad said the “Supreme Court had provided its members with adequate provisions, including vehicles for the entirety and accommodation for all, not just a few”.
- He added that the public should be “rest assured that there was no hostility or adverse feelings among the 16-member court and said all justices were going about their normal duties.”