TheCable

Lawrence Nnoli, a Lagos based lawyer, has filed a suit at the federal high court in Lagos, seeking to compel President Muhammadu Buhari to appoint more supreme court justices.

Following the retirement of some justices without replacement, the number of justices has over time, decreased to 12 as against the constitutionally required number of 21.

In his application, Nnoli submitted that the president’s failure to appoint more justices of the supreme court was “a serious breach of Section 231(2) of the 1999 Constitution and poses a grave danger to the course of justice in Nigeria”.

He made reference to the fact that the National Judicial Council (NJC) had, in October 2019, recommended four justices of the appeal court for elevation to the apex court, but the president was yet to forward their names to the national assembly for screening and confirmation.

The recommended judges are Adamu Jauro, Emmanuel Agim, C. Oseji, and Helen Ogunwumiju.

Nnoli said Buhari’s inaction “poses a grave risk to the peace and progress of Nigeria as citizens’ confidence in the supreme court towards dispensing justice in a timely manner may be eroded owing to the insufficient number of Justices of the supreme court available.”

He is praying the court to make an order compelling the president to perform his duties.

Joined as defendants in the suit are Buhari, the NJC, the chief justice of Nigeria and the senate president.

Although the suit marked FHC/C/CS/897/2020 has been assigned to Mohammed Liman, a judge, a date is yet to be fixed for hearing.