The National Judicial Council (NJC) last night requested for the extension of Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria Justice Walter Onnoghen’s tenure.
The decision was taken at an emergency meeting.
A source said that a letter had been dispatched to Acting President Yemi Osinbajo.
The Nation learnt that Justice Onnoghen, whose first three-month tenure as acting CJN expires tomorrow, was absent at the meeting.
Although Justice Onnoghen, by virtue of his current status seats atop the NJC as Chairman, it was learnt that he was excused from the meeting.
In Justice Onnoghen’s place, the second most senior Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Tanko Muhammad, presided.
The meeting was to invoke the provision of Section 231(5) of the Constitution by asking for the extension of the acting status since the Senate’s confirmation may come after Friday.
The Senate won’t reconvene to debate the confirmation letter for confirmation of Justice Walter Onnogen as Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), it was learnt last night.
Osinbajo, it was gathered, forwarded the letter seeking Onnoghen’s confirmation to the Senate barely one day to the expiration of the mandatory three months for him to function in acting capacity.
A source in the Senate confirmed that Senate President Bukola Saraki had received the letter.
“The letter is here (Senate)”, the source declared yesterday.
But Saraki won’t read the letter until February 21 when the senators will return for plenary.
The Senate suspended plenary on January 26 to enable its standing committees to consider the 2017 Budget.
The source said: “Yes, it is true that the Senate President is in receipt of the letter nominating the CJN this morning (yesterday). That is the much we can confirm. For now it is enough for Nigerians to know that the letter nominating Onnoghen for confirmation is in the Senate.”
It could not be immediately confirmed if Saraki will refer Onnoghen’s nomination letter to the Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters before the resumption of plenary on February 21.
It is also not known if the Senate President would schedule the screening and confirmation of Onnoghen for the committee of the whole.