Lawan reads Buhari’s letter on confirmation of Dongban-Mensem as appeal court president

Senate President Ahmad Lawan has read a letter by President Muhammadu Buhari asking the senate to confirm Monica Dongban-Mensem as the president of the court of appeal.

Dongban-Mensem has been acting as head of the appellate court since the retirement of Zainab Bulkachuwa in March.

Although the National Judicial Council (NJC) earlier recommended her as the substantive head of the court, Buhari did not send her name to the senate for confirmation.

Instead, the president extended her tenure as acting president of the court till September.

TheCable had reported how dirt-digging was employed by some presidential advisers to get her disqualified and pave the way for Mohammed Lawal Garba, the judge who chaired the 2019 presidential election petitions tribunal that ruled in favour of Buhari.

But in a statement on Monday, Garba Shehu, presidential spokesman, said Buhari has sent her name to the senate for confirmation as the substantive head of the court.

In his letter read on the floor of the upper legislative chamber on Tuesday, the president asked the senate to “confirm the nominee in the usual expeditious manner”.

“According to the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria as amended, I write to request for confirmation by the senate the appointment of M. B Dongban-Mensem as the president of the court of appeal of Nigeria,” the commander-in-chief said.

“It is my hope that the senate will consider and confirm the nominee in the usual expeditious manner.”