President Muhammadu Buhari has approved Justice Monica Dongban Mensem, another woman as acting President of the Court for an initial period of three months, with effect from March 6, 2020.
Justice Mensem, who is the next most senior Judge of the Court of Appeal, will be acting pending when a substantive appointment to the position of the President of the Court of Appeal may be made by President Buhari subject to the confirmation of the Senate.
This is as the incumbent, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa would bow out tomorrow as President Court of Appeal, after spending several decades on the bench, 22 years of it in the appeal court.
The President’s approval of the appointment of Justice Mensem, followed the recommendation of the Chief Justice of Nigeria in line with the provisions of Section 238(4) & (5) of the 1999 Constitution as amended.
Zainab Bulkachuwa, who retires tomorrow was first appointed to act as head of the appeal court in November 2012 by former President Goodluck Jonathan, 14 years after she became a member of the appellate court.
Zainab, who was born in March 1950, represents Gombe State in the Appeal Court.
She was called to the Bar in 1976. Before her elevation to the Appeal Court, she had worked as a judge in the High Court of Bauchi State and served as the Chief Judge of Gombe State.