President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday swore in Justice Olukayode Ariwoola as acting Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN).
The swearing in took place at the Council Chambers of the State House, Abuja.
Ariwoola, who is the most senior Justice of the Supreme Court, was sworn in hours after the resignation of the former CJN, Mr. Tanko Muhammad.
The swearing-in was in line with Section 231 (4) of the 1999 constitution as amended.
The section states: “If the office of Chief Justice of Nigeria is vacant or if the person holding the office is for any reason unable to perform the functions of the office, then until a person has been appointed to and has assumed the functions of that office, or until the person holding has resumed those functions, the President shall appoint the most senior Justice of the Supreme Court to perform those functions.”
Ariwoola will serve in acting capacity until confirmed by the senate on the president’s request.
In attendance at the Ariwoola’s swearing-in was the vice president, Prof Yemi Osinbajo alongside the secretary to the government of the federation, Mr. Boss Mustapha, inspector general of police, Mr. Usman Baba, director general of the Department of State Service (DSS), Yusuf Bichi, other justices of the Supreme Court.
Born on August 22, 1958, the acting CJN, who hails from Oyo State was formerly a justice of the Court of Appeal before being elevated to the Supreme Court bench on November 22, 2011.
Currently, he is a member of the Nigerian Bar Association, the International Bar Association, and the Nigerian Body of Benchers.
A 1980 law graduate of the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), Ile Ife, Osun State, the CJN was called to the Nigeria bar and got enrolled at the Supreme Court of Nigeria as a Solicitor and Advocate in July 1981.
Prior to his elevation to his elevation to the Supreme Court, Ariwoola was a Justice of the Court of Appeal between 2005 and 2011 after he was elevated from the State High Court of Oyo State.
He was first appointed a Judge of Superior Court of record in Oyo State in 1992 from private legal practice.
He attended the Local Authority Demonstration School, Oluwole in Iseyin Local government of Oyo State between 1959 and 1967.
He also attended Muslim Modern School in the same town between 1968 and 1969 before moving to Ansar-Ud-Deen High School, Saki in Oyo North of Oyo State.
