Photo: Daily Trust

Incoming Chief Justice of Nigeria Justice Aloma Mariam Mukhtar.

President Goodluck Jonathan will on next Monday inaugurate the first female Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice (CJN) Aloma Mariam Mukhtar, even as the incumbent, Justice Dahiru Musdapher bows out tomorrow.

THISDAY checks also revealed that new Senior Advocates of Nigeria will emerge Thursday.

Barring last minute changes, Lagos lawyer and activist, Femi Falana may be among the successful candidates.

Wednesday, the Senate confirmed Mukthar as the CJN paving the way for her swearing next week.

Born in Kano State, Mukthar is the first female from Northern Nigeria to become a lawyer. She is the first woman to be appointed a justice of the Court of Appeal.

She is also the first female justice of the Court of Appeal to make it to the Supreme Court.

Her appointment, after the Senate clearance, will make her the 13th head of the nation's judiciary since the appointment of Chief Justice Adetokunbo Ademola, the first CJN, who held the post from 1958-1972.

Jonathan had in a letter dated July 3 and read on the floor of the Senate by Senate President, David Mark, sought the senators' approval to make Mukhtar Musdapher's successor.

In the letter, Jonathan told the senators that Mukhtar's nomination was in conformity with Section 231 Sub-section (1) of the 1999 Constitution.

The letter read: "In conformity with Section 231 Sub-section (1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, which gives the president powers to appoint a Chief Justice of Nigeria, acting on the recommendation of the National Judicial Council and subject to confirmation of the appointment by the Senate, I have the honour to forward the nomination of Honourable Justice Aloma Mariam Mukhtar, CON, CFR, for confirmation as Chief Justice of Nigeria.

"It is my hope that this request will receive the usual expeditious attention of the distinguished Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria."

Jonathan also forwarded to the Senate the names of Hon. Justices Kumai Bayang Akaahs (North-west zone) and Stanley Shenko Alagoa (South-south zone) for confirmation as justices of the Court of Appeal.

Jonathan, in a letter also read by Mark, said both "appointments have been necessitated by the impending retirement from service of Hon. Justice Dahiru Musdapher, Chief Justice of Nigeria, and Hon. Justice F. F. Tabai."

The road to Mukhtar's historic emergence began in April when Musdapher served the National Judicial Council (NJC) the mandatory three-month notice of retirement.

Mukthar was called to the Nigerian Bar on June 26, 1967.

By September 24, 1987, she became the first female to be sworn into the Court of Appeal. When the Senate confirmed her appointment on May 10, 2005, she was also the first female justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

Born on November 20, 1944, she attended St. George's Primary School, Zaria, St. Bartholomew's School, Wusasa, Zaria, Rossholme School for Girls, East Brent, Somersets, England, Reading Technical College, Reading, Berkshire England, Gibson and Weldon College of Law and was called to the English Bar in Absentia in November, 1966.

She worked as a pupil state counsel, Ministry of Justice, Northern Nigeria in 1967; Office of the Legal Draftsman, Interim Common Services Agency, Magistrate Grade I, North Eastern State Government in 1971; Chief Registrar, Kano State Government Judiciary, 1973; Judge of the High Court of Kano State, 1977-1987; Justice of the Court of Appeal, 1987-1993; presiding justice of the Court of Appeal, 1993-2005; and justice of the Supreme Court from June 2005 to date.