Controversy over proposed appointment of lawyers as Supreme Court judges

The plan by to appoint some senior lawyers to the Supreme Court as judges has generated different reactions

While some think it is a good idea, others say it would give room to politicians to infiltrate the apex court

The plan to appoint some senior lawyers into the Supreme Court as justices is creating fresh controversies and tension in the judiciary.

Onnoghen had reportedly asked the NBA to nominate lawyers for for the Supreme court

This is as some colleagues and experts in the Nigerian law sub-sector are warning against appointing those already nominated for such positions.

The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen, had, in January, invited the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to nominate suitably qualified lawyers to apply as justices of the Supreme Court.

Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa, who heads the appeal court also followed suit.

In response, the NBA nominated nine Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) for Supreme Court appointment and these include Dr Olisa Agbakoba, Anthony Ikemefuna Idigbe, Anthony Idigbe, Yunus Ustaz Usman, Babatunde Fagbohunlu, Miannayaaja Essien, Awa Uma Kalu, Professor Auwalu Hamisu Yadudu and Tajudeen Oladoja.

The NBA also came up with a list of 12 senior lawyers and judges as possible appointees into the appeal court.

They include: Nnamdi Ibegbu, former judge of Court of Appeal of Gambia, Adegoke Oluremi; Enewa Rita Ifeyinwa; Alma Eluwa; Oladipo Tolani; Dr Mohammed Alkali; Prof Nsogurua J Udombana; Auwalu Mu’allimu; Prof Augustine R Agom; Gbadamosi Kazeem; Dr Yemi Oke, and Dr Ibrahim Abdullahi.

While some have supported the move, others have kicked against it.

Daily Trust reports that in his reaction, the former president of the NBA, Joseph Bodunrin Daudu, said that a SAN can only go to the Supreme Court and not the high court if he decides to go the bench.

“Consider two people (lawyers) are both 10 years (post-call) so while you opt for the bench, I opted to take SAN, so we are at per.

“If there is anything to be taken next at the Bench, I should not come back to what I should have got before going to be SAN.

“You see the logic behind it. Because I could easily without being a SAN go to the high court bench. So having become SAN, I have gone beyond that bound and I should now go to the next level.

“So SANs should be appointed Supreme Court judges not high court judges because these are people who have distinguished themselves and it is a sacrifice they are making to leave that and go and take paid employment,” he said.

In his own reaction, Tunji Gomez, an octogenarian lawyer, kicked against the move arguing that it would mark the entrance of political judges into the Supreme Court.

He argued that appointing lawyers into the Supreme Court would kill the morale of the justices of the Court of Appeal who have paid their dues and are waiting to be upgraded.

The report also quoted Barrister Yemi Oke, one of the nominees, as asking Onnoghen to drop his name because of his affiliation to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).