Photo of the CJN, Justice Tanko Muhammad.

The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Tanko Muhammad has resigned. Mr Tanko whose resignation became public on Monday resigned on health grounds.

The next most senior justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola is now the acting Chief Justice of Nigeria.

Only last week, 14 justices of the Supreme Court had written him a letter to lament the decrepit state of affairs in the court.

Justice Tanko a Fulani, born on 31 December 1953 became the Chief Justice of Nigeria on July 11, 2019.

Tanko began his career in 1982, after being called to the bar in 1981. In 1989, he was appointed as Chief Magistrate of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, a position he held until 1991 when he became a Judge at the Bauchi State Sharia Court of Appeal.

He served in that capacity for two years before being appointed to the bench of the Nigerian courts of appeal as Justice in 1993.

He held this position for thirteen years before he was appointed to the bench of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in 2006 but was sworn in on 7 January 2007.