By Uche Mbah
The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Tanko Mohammed, has resigned from office.
According to reports, Tanko resigned Monday morning, allegedly, on health grounds.
There have been strong speculations over his health for over one year. He neither confirmed nor denied his health status.
His resignation took many by surprise considering that last week, he was embroiled in a scandalous spat with 14 Justices of the Supreme Court. The Justices had written a letter to him which leaked to the Public.
In the letter, they stopped short of calling him corrupt.
They qurried the management of the finances of the Court funds under him. They said everything in the Apex Court had deteriorated under him.
The letter was an indirect vote of no confidence in him. Even though he denied any wrong doing in his response which was, also, leaked to the public, not a few people insist his resignation is linked to the scandalous exchanges. The spat opened the underbelly of the Supreme Court and exposed it to public ridicule.
Born on December 31, 1953, Ibrahim Muhammad Tanko, CFR, was appointed the CJN by President Muhammadu Buhari on March 22, 2019. He succeeded CJN Walter Onoghen who was forced to resign under controversial circumstances by the Buhari Government.
Tanko is a native of Bauchi State, and had a Doctorate degree in Shariah Law.
The retirement age of Supreme Court Judges in Nigeria is 70 years.
