The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Tanko Muhammad, has resigned due to health issues.
This resignation comes just 18 months left to his retirement in December 2024 when he will clock 70.
President Muhammadu Buhari has sworn in Mohammed as the acting CJN in January 2019 following the suspension and later sack of former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen.
The CJN’s Special Assistant on Media, Isah Ahuraka, confirmed his resignation to the News Agency of Nigeria.
This news comes at a period when Fourteen Supreme Court judges in a protest memo accused Mohammed of not giving justices their legitimate entitlements.
The justices have alleged the CJN for blocking their annual foreign training which was meant to enhance capacity building for the country’s judicial process.
The major issues as forwarded by the justices in their letter through a welfare committee were; non-replacement of poor vehicles; accommodation problems; lack of drugs at the Supreme Court clinic; epileptic electricity supply to the Supreme Court; increase in electricity tariff; no increase in the allowances for diesel; lack of internet services to residences and chambers.
The CJN, Mohammed in his response told the judges that the Supreme Court was cash-strapped and cannot grant their requests.
He noted that the Supreme Court, like other establishments in the country, was hit by a devastating economic crisis, as a result, made it impossible for the court to meet some of its obligations to Justices, especially in the area of welfare.
However, said that the memo sent to him by the aggrieved Justices, will for no reason brings conflict between him and the Justices of the Supreme Court.
The next most senior Justice of the Supreme Court, Olukayode Ariwoola, who hails from Oyo State, is expected to be sworn-in in an acting capacity as confirmed at the Supreme Court.
