Sources in Abuja, the nation’s capital, have informed www.calitown.com that Walter Nkanu Onnoghen, Cross River State-born Justice of the Supreme Court, was yesterday nominated by the Federal Judicial Service Commission as the Chief Justice of Nigeria-designate.
His nomination will see him succeed Mohammed Mahmud, the current CJN, who is retiring on November 10, 2016. Onnoghen will retire on December 20, 2020. Meanwhile as it is the practice, Tanko Mohammed, another Supreme Court judge, was picked as a standby-nominee as is usually the case. The standby-nominee will be considered for the position if the original nominee is rejected by President Buhari, the appointing authority.
Onnoghen, from Afrike in Biase Local Government Area of CRS, becomes the first person from the South of Nigeria, in 29 years, to occupy the CJN position. The last person is believed to be Ayo Irifeke.
