JUSTICE Fati Abubakar, a former first lady and wife to the former military head of state General Abdulsalami Abubakar, was on Thursday approved for appointment as the acting chief judge of Niger State by Governor Muazu Aliyu.
“Acting upon the powers conferred on me by the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, which gives the powers to appoint a Chief Judge of a state, I Dr Muazu Aliyu hereby appoint Justice Fati Lami Abubakar as acting chief judge with effect from March 30,2013,” declared the governor today in a statement made available to the press today.
The statement, signed by the governor’s press secretary Danladi Ndayebo, noted that with the former first lady’s impressive credentials as the most senior high court judge, a former solicitor general of the state and a judicial officer of impeccable character, Governor Aliyu is confident that the newly appointed acting chief judge will discharge the duties of her new office diligently without fear or favour.
Section 271 [4] of the 1999 constitution was cited as the law that granted the governor powers to make the appointment. The previous chief judge, Jibrin Ndatsu Ndajiwo had retired after attaining the mandatory retirement age of 65.
Governor Mu’azu wished the newly appointed chief justice well in the discharge of her duties.