By Deborah Nnamdi
The Senate on Tuesday confirmed the appointment of Justice Joseph Olubunmi Kayode Oyewole as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, completing his elevation to the apex court after a successful screening exercise. The confirmation followed the consideration and adoption of a report by the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, chaired by Senator Adeniyi Adegbonmire (APC, Ondo Central).
Presenting the report on the floor of the Red Chamber, Adegbonmire urged lawmakers to approve the nomination of Oyewole, who was, until his elevation, a Justice of the Court of Appeal. He subsequently made a motion that the Senate receive and consider the committee’s report on the confirmation of the nominee.
The confirmation was based on a request earlier forwarded to the Senate by President Bola Tinubu in line with Section 231(2) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). Tinubu’s letter, which was read by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, formally sought the Senate’s approval for Oyewole’s appointment as a Justice of the Supreme Court.
After the correspondence was read last Tuesday, the nomination was referred to the Judiciary Committee for screening and a report, a process that culminated in Tuesday’s confirmation. With the Senate’s approval, Justice Oyewole now formally joins the bench of Nigeria’s highest court.
