I just read this article by @Chxta, and wish to add a few comments of my own.

The question is Why Northerners almost always produce the CJN in Nigeria.
Towards the end of Chxta’s article, he suggested that Southern Lawyers choose the Bar, over the Bench. https://newswirengr.com/2020/10/01/cheta-nwanze-between-the-bar-and-the-bench/

That will not be the truth. Why it appears that way is because Southerners have a lot more successful lawyers, so it follows that they will have more Silks than the North.

Add the fact that more Lawyers one from the South than the North, even though the North is more populous

Now, In the South where I have practiced Law for almost 10 years now, there is a pattern to appointment of Judicial Officers.

First off, Politicians have taken over the process of appointment of Judicial Officers, and that is a very big problem.

Judges are not appointed merely because they are qualified, but because of which part of the State they are from, their connections and affiliations with whoever was Governor at the time, how many Judges they have from their area, and other political permutations.

The hijacking of the process of appointing Judicial Officers by politicians was the beginning of the problem in the Judiciary, from our Magistracy to the Supreme Court.

We have seen the apex court sing discordant tunes, on issues that are not purely matters of law

Until Politicians hands off completely from the process of appointing Judicial Officers, we are not going to have a free and independent judiciary. Our constitution has not helped matters in creating this problem, but that’s another issue. Let me deal quickly with the issue

Here in the South, we are not strategic in our appointments. We don’t think, we don’t plan, we just do stuff because we can.

When Judges are appointed here in the South, we see people that are well past their prime being elevated. People in their 50’s!

I practice all over the South East especially, and I can tell you for a fact that (apart from Anambra), the average age of Judges at appointment is around 45! By this time, they are already over 20 years post call.

To qualify for appointment, one should have been qualified as a lawyer for at least 10 years.

I was called to the bar at age 24. So it means that at 34, I am qualified to be a Judge. After 2 years, I will be qualified to be at the Court of Appeal, and 3 years later,Supreme Court

It there follows that one can get to the Supreme Court at age 40! If you get to the SC at 40, it follows that you have 30 years to sit at the Supreme Court! There is no way such a person will not get to be the most Senior at the Supreme Court, and then CJN!

The Northerners are strategic! Their appointments to the Bench are planned. They prepare people from University days and Law sch for the bench. They support them all through school, put them as magistrates at 3 years post call, and as Judges at exactly 10 years post call

Here in the South, political considerations will not allow us appoint young energetic and brilliant lawyers to the bench. We appoint old men who are well past their prime. Joining the bench at 50, they can hardly progress to the SC, and if they do, they will retire soon

Then later, we will start crying that only Northerners have been CJN. I don’t indulge in such folly. If Donald Duke had not pushed for the elevation of a young Walter to the SC, we would never have had a Southern CJN.

Anambra and maybe Ebonyi have done better than others

But we need to do better. Let’s train and raise people who we will be proud of at summit of the judiciary. Meanwhile, some of the best Judges I have appeared before are from the North. We can do better. Let’s do better