President Bola Tinubu is reportedly considering the appointment of a 71-year-old former Justice of the Supreme Court, Abdu Aboki, as the next chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). Aboki retired from the Supreme Court upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 70 on August 5, 2022.

Sources within the presidency, speaking anonymously to Premium Times, revealed that Tinubu has identified Aboki as the potential replacement for the current ICPC chair, Bolaji Owasanoye, who has approximately six months left in his five-year tenure.

If appointed, Aboki's selection would mark a return to the tradition of choosing the head of the commission from among retired jurists of the appellate courts with relatively advanced age. Notably, past chairs like Mustapha Akanbi and Emmanuel Ayoola were retired judges appointed at ages exceeding 60.

The current trend, however, has seen a departure from this convention, as the most recent chair, Owasanoye, assumed office at the age of 55. Aboki's potential appointment would signify a deviation from the preference for a younger generation to lead the anti-corruption agency.

To qualify for the position of ICPC chairperson, a candidate must be eligible to be a judge of Nigeria's superior courts of record, according to Section 4 of the ICPC Act 2000. The law further mandates that the chairman and other members of the commission must be individuals of proven integrity, appointed by the president and subject to Senate confirmation. This implies that anyone with proven integrity, called to the Nigerian Bar for a minimum of 10 years (the qualifying period for a judge), is eligible for the position of ICPC chairperson.