First female Chief Justice may succeed Musdapher

Nigeria may get a first female Chief Justice when the current Chief Justice, Dahiru Musdapher, retires on July 14, 2012, We has learnt that

Musdapher has already written the National Judicial Council to give the required three months notice of his impending retirement as a judicial officer on July 14, when he will clock the mandatory retirement age of 70.

It was learnt that in the letter he sent to the NJC on April 11, 2012, Musdapher nominated a female justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Mariam Mukhtar Aloma, as his successor-in-waiting.

Aloma is the most senior justice of the Supreme Court, after Musdapher.

There were reports that Aloma was recently nominated as the Chief Justice of The Gambia, an appointment she rejected.

Meanwhile, Musdapher, on Thursday, refuted reports that he had resigned his appointment.

A national daily had published a report on its website, saying the CJN resigned his appointment on Wednesday.

Reacting to the development, Musdapher, in a statement by his Media Advisor, Mr. Mohammed Adamu, said he had not resigned.

In the statement titled, ‘The CJN has not resigned,’ Adamu explained that, rather than resigning his appointment, Musdapher only followed service procedure by giving the NJC three months notice of his impending retirement as a judicial officer.

The statement reads, “The Honorable, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Dahiru Musdapher, contrary to speculations, has not resigned his appointment.

“The CJN had, on 11th April, 2012, written to the National Judicial Council, to give three months notice of his retirement from service as a Judicial Officer.

“This, as the CJN indicated, is so ‘that the necessary processes will be commenced early enough to enable the swearing of a new Chief Justice’ by the 16th of July 2012.

“It is public knowledge that by the provisions of Section 291(1) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, the CJN shall cease to be a Judicial Officer come 14th July, 2012 when he would be 70 years.”