Should Tinubu Be Commended for Nominating 21 Supreme Court Justices? Lawyer Reacts

• President Bola Tinubu nominating 11 justices to make the Supreme Court judges 21 has been described as mere constitutional fulfilment
• Okanlawon Gaffar, a legal practitioner, told Legit.ng that what the president had done was in line with the Constitution and important to Nigeria's democratic growth
• The Senate had approved the nominees to increase the number of Supreme Court justices to 21 in December

Legit.ng journalist Bada Yusuf is an accomplished politics and current affairs editor, boasting over seven years of experience in journalism and writing.

FCT, Abuja - President Bola Tinubu, earlier in December 2023, forwarded the names of 11 nominees to be Justices of the Supreme Court, who were recommended by the National Judicial Commission (NJC) to meet the 21 constitutional requirements for the justices of the apex court.

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The Senate on Thursday, December 21, approved the 11 nominees making the Supreme Court justices 21 as required by the law, a feat that was briefly achieved last in 2020.

Reactions as Tinubu nominates 11 Supreme Court Justices

The president's move has generated reactions among stakeholders who have shared different opinions on whether the president should be commended or not.

Okanlawon Gaffar, a legal practitioner, spoke with Legit.ng on the matter, and saw no reason why President Tinubu should be praised for fulfilling the constitutional requirement.

The legal icon posited that the effectiveness of the judiciary lies in the other arms of government and their roles.

Gaffar commented on Tinubu's nomination of 11 Supreme Court justices

According to Gaffar, the effectiveness of the judiciary and its stakeholders are key to Nigeria's democracy and it is also defined in the Nigeria constitution.

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Gaffar said:

"The independence of the Judiciary and its effectiveness begins with the role of the other arms of government want to play (as key players in our democracy).

"Bearing this in mind, I would love to correct the assertion or the notion that the President nominated 21 Justices. The process or procedure spelt out by Section 231 of the constitution."

Anxiety as Tinubu exposes fresh dubious foreign exchange transaction under Emefiele

Legit.ng earlier reported that President Tinubu's move to probe the preferential treatment of foreign exchange allocation to some companies and individuals during the time of Godwin Emefiele as CBN governor has made some significant progress.

This is because a top official within the EFCC disclosed that the report, independent of Jum Obazee's report, would be included in the amended charges against Emefiele.

It was also learned that the EFCC had written over 85 entities, including corporate organisations and individuals.

Source: Legit.ng