Succession battle is rocking the Court of Appeal as the tenure of its President, Justice Zainab Adamu Bulkachuwa, ends March 6.
The battle for who heads the appellate court had seen the most senior justice of the court, Monica Dongban Mensem, edged out from succeeding Bulkachuwa, in favour of Justice Mohammed Garba.
The plot which started last year as was exclusively reported by Daily Sun, reached its peak when Justice Mensem was nominated for elevation to the Supreme Court.
Although the name of Justice Garba (who is next in ranking to Justice Mensem) was sent to the National Judicial Council (NJC) for appointment as Justice of the apex court, he was tactically sent for foreign training and could not participate in the interview.
Justice Bulkachuwa will bow out this week after attaining the age of 70. Somne analysts have alleged that Justice Bukachuwa is at the heart of the plot to scheme out Justice Mensem from succeeding her. But, there are also behind-the-scene manoeuvres by certain forces both within and outside the National Judicial Council (NJC) to influence the choice of Bukachuwa successor.
It was learnt that the plot is to ensure that whosoever succeeds Bukachuwa was a Muslim, a tradition that had been sustained for over 41 years. It was learnt that since the late Justice Daniel Onuorah Ibekwe (1976-1978), it has been Muslims from North-East and North-West heading the appellate court.
Justice Dongban-Mensem, daughter of a retired Court of Appeal judge, Justice M. B. Douglas-Mensem, is from Shendam Local Government Area of Plateau State and current presiding justice of the Court of Appeal, Enugu Division.
Justice Garba, who is the presiding justice of the Lagos Division of the Court of Appeal, was the presiding judge of the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal for the 2019 election.