NJC may recommend Rhodes-Vivour New CJN

• Ranks third among top 5 Supreme Court Justices

Indications are beginning to emerge that the National Judaical Council (NJC) may end recommending a Lagos-born Justice Bode Rhodes-Vivour as the new Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) to President Muhammadu Buhari for onward transmission to the Senate for confirmation as a way to resolve the impasse in the Judiciary.

The projection is spring from the intervention of the NJC to investigate the petitions against both CJNs which at its emergency meeting on Tuesday issues seven working days ultimatum to both Onnoghen and Muhammad to respond to the respective petitions against each of them.

There is emerging speculation that the NJC may recommend both justices for retirement to give the judiciary a break from the politicization of the crisis ravaging the office of the CJN. The calculations in this regard presuppose the emergence of the Lagos State born Justice Rhodes-Vivour, who is third in-line in the Supreme Court hierarchy, as nominee for CJN.

The current top five Supreme Court Justices stands in the following ranking order of seniority: Justice Walter Onnoghen, Justice Ibrahim Muhammad, Justice Bode Rhodes-Vivour, Justice Mary Odili and Justice Olukayode Ariwola.

The NJC will be resuming its meeting next week after the expiration of the seven days ultimatum issues to the suspended CJN Onnoghen and acting CJN Muhammad.