The Senate has confirmed the appointment of 11 Justices of the Supreme Court after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu sent in their nomination notice.
It confirmed the justices during Thursday’s plenary session following the consideration and adoption of a report by the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters.
The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) and chairman of National Judicial Council (NJC), Olukayode Ariwoola had in his last quarterly meeting of the council earlier in December unveiled the new eleven Justices for transmission to President Tinubu’s approval.
The National Judicial Council (NJC) had on December 7 recommended the appointment of 11 Supreme Court justices to Tinubu, who subsequently asked the Senate to confirm the nominees recommended by the Council to fill the vacant positions at the court.
While presenting his panel report, the committee chairman, Tahir Monguno, a senator representing Borno, said the nominees possessed the requisite qualifications and had the experience to occupy the position, adding that there was no petition against them.
During the confirmation, some senators raised concerns over the delay in appointing the justices.
Seriake Dickson, a senator representing Bayelsa, urged that provisions for immediate replacements should be made in the event of subsequent vacancies.
“Anytime these vacancies occur, they should be filled immediately.
“I want to draw that to the attention of the President that there shouldn’t be a delay so that we don’t become a laughing stock.”
There had been concerns over a drop in Nigerian Supreme Court justices, coming short of the court’s full complement of 21 justices as stipulated in the Constitution.
The number had decreased to 10 after the retirement of a justice, Musa Dattijo Muhammad, on October 26, 2023.
The nominees who were confirmed by the Senate are Justice Haruna Tsammani (Northeast), who chaired the Presidential Election Petition Court, Justice Moore Adumein (South-South); Justice Jummai Sankey (North-central); Justice Chidiebere Uwa (South-east); Justice Chioma Nwosu-Iheme (South-east); Justice Obande Ogbuinya (South-East); Justice Stephen Adah (North-Central); Justice Habeeb Abiru (South-West); Justice Jamilu Tukur (Northwest); Justice Abubakar Umar (Northwest); and Justice Mohammed Idris (North-Central).
With the confirmation of the 11 justices by the Senate on Thursday, the Supreme Court now has the complete statutory requirement of 21 justices on its bench as stipulated in the Nigerian Constitution.
