The Senate yesterday confirmed the nominations of Hon. Justice Sidi Dauda Bage and Hon. Justice Paul Adamu Galinje as Justices of the Supreme Court.
The confirmation of the duo followed the adoption of a report of the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters on the screening of the justices for appointment as justices of the Supreme Court.
Chairman of the committee, Senator David Umaru, while presenting the report, said the committee found both Bage and Galinje have “sound knowledge” of the law and have contributed immensely to the development of the law and enriched the Nigerian legal system through their judgements and rulings as well as seminar presentation.
He said that e committee was satisfied with their competence, experience, suitability, qualifications and integrity, hence the recommendation for the confirmation of their nominations by the Senate.
Umaru added that, in the committee’s view, the composition of the Supreme Court in terms of geo-political zones and upon confirmation of Justices Bage and Galinje, is a fair reflection of the federal character principle as enshrined in Section 14 (3) of the 1999 Constitution.
Each of the six geo-political zones will now have three justices in the Supreme Court except South-South with two.
In the same vein, the Senate has confirmed the nominations of six commissioners for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) submitted to it by President Muhammadu Buhari.
This is even as the Red Chamber also confirmed the nomination of Mr. Igo Weli as a board member of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
The new INEC commissioners are Prof. Okechukwu Obinna Ibeanu (South-East); May Agbamuche-Mbu (South-South); AVM Ahmed Tijani Mu’Azu (North-East); Mohammed Kudu Haruna (North-Central); Dr Adekunle Ladipo Ogunmola (South-West); and Abubakar Ahmed Nahuche (North-West).
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