The Federal Judicial Service Commission, FJSC, has commenced the process of appointing a new Chief Justice of Nigeria with the recommendation of Mahmud Mohammed to replace the present occupant of the position, Justice Mariam Aloma Mukhtar, who is due to retire next month.
Justice Mukhtar, the first female to be appointed the Chief Justice of Nigeria is due for retirement on the 20th of November when she will attain the retirement age of 70.
The FJSC unanimously recommended Justice Mohammed to the National Judicial Council, NJC, when it met last Thursday in Abuja. The NJC is expected to recommend him to President Goodluck Jonathan for approval.
Justice Mohammed, by ranking, is the next most senior Justice of the Supreme Court and presently the Deputy Chairman of the NJC.
Succession to the position of CJN is usually based on seniority in the court.
The NJC is expected to meet tomorrow to recommend Mohammed to President Jonathan and also nominate Justice Walter Nkanu-Onnoghen as the next deputy chairman of the NJC. He is next to Mohammed on the order of seniority.
A native of Jalingo, in Taraba State, Justice Mohammed was born on the 10th of November, 1946.
He attended Ahmadu Bello Universirty, Zaria where he obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Law (LL.B) in 1970, after which he attended the Nigerian Law School in Lagos and was subsequently called to bar in 1971.
He started his career with the Ministry of Justice of the defunct North-eastern and Gongola States, as well as serving on the bench in Gongola.
He was a chief judge of in Taraba State before moving to Court of Appeal, where he also served as President before his elevation to the Supreme Court in 2005.
Justice Mohammed holds the national honours of the Commander of Order of the Niger (CON) and Officer of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (OFR).
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