The acting ChiefJustice of Nigeria Justice Tanko Muhammad has claimed that President Buharidoes not need the permission of the National Judicial Council to appoint him onacting capacity. Muhammad made theclaim in response to a query given to him by the NJC, the body constitutionallyempowered to recommend the appointment of chief justices and heads of courts. A group, Centre forJustice and Peace Initiative, had written a petition to the NJC, asking thecouncil to remove Muhammad as a justice of the Supreme Court for allowinghimself to be sworn in by the President without recourse to the NJC. In his response,Justice Muhammad said the NJC ought to be consulted only when a substantive CJNis being appointed or re-appointed. He noted that Justice Walter Onnoghenremained the substantive CJN, adding that the latter was only suspended. The acting CJN said ifthe Appeal Court or the Code of Conduct Tribunal reversed Onnoghen’ssuspension, he would immediately step aside and return to his former positionas a justice of the Supreme Court.