President Muhammadu Buhari has sworn-in Justice Olukayode Ariwoola as the Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN.
The new Acting CJN was sworn-in on Monday at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja at a ceremony attended by his colleagues.
Ariwoola who is the most senior of the Supreme Court Justices, succeeds Justice Tanko Muhammad who suddenly resigned from office on Monday morning, allegedly on health grounds.
However, speculations are rife that he resigned over the vote
of no confidence passed on him, in a memo addressed to him, by 14 Justices of the Supreme Court who accused him, indirectly of alleged corruption, incompetence and maladministration. Justice Muhammad had strongly denied the allegations.
Born on August 22, 1958, Ariwoola was appointed to the Supreme Court in 2011.
He would act for three months, during which time President Buhari is expected to forward his name to the Senate for screening and confirmation.
Justice Olukayode Ariwoola was born in Iseyin, Oyo State, South-West Nigeria. He obtained his degree in Law from the University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University.
Prior to becoming a Justice of the Supreme Court, Ariwoola was appointed a judge of the Oyo State High Court in 1992 and later made a Justice of the Court of Appeal in November 2005.
On November 22, 2011, he was appointed to the bench of the Supreme Court of Nigeria as Justice by President Goodluck Jonathan.
He is a Member of the Nigerian Bar Association, the International Bar Association, and the Nigerian Body of Benchers.
Meanwhile, President Buhari has conferred the national honour of Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger ,GCON, on Justice Tanko Muhammad as he leaves office as Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN.
The President said the honour was for his immense contributions to the development of the Judiciary in Nigeria which are unprecedented.
(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
