President Goodluck Jonathan has approved the recommendation of Justice Mahmud Mohammed as the new Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN).
The National Judicial Council (NJC), penultimate week, recommended him as the most senior justice of the Supreme Court to him as the appointing authority.
Nigerian Tribune gathered from government sources that Mahmud’s appointment letter from the president was out this week and had been received by the council.
Jonathan, it was also learnt, had sent his name to the Senate for screening and confirmation.
A source noted that the quick approval by the president was a mark of respect for the outgoing CJN, Justice Mariam Aloma Mukhtar.
Mukhtar will retire on November 20, when she would hit the constitutional retirement age of 70.
Mahmud hails from Taraba State and expected to retire on November 10, 2016, when he would be 70.
When the Federal Judicial Service Commission (FJSC) nominated Mahmud as CJN, Justices Walter Nkanu Onnoghen and Mohammed Tanko were put on stand-by.
If the succession-by-seniority arrangement is preserved till 2016, Onnoghen is expected to succeed Mahmud.
