The senate on Wednesday confirmed the nomination of Justice Olukayode Ariwoola for appointment as the chief justice of Nigeria (CJN).
The confirmation followed the screening of the CJN by the committee of the whole inside the senate chambers.
Ariwoola was confirmed after an hour of drilling and questioning by the senate.
The motion for the screening was moved by the Mr. Ibrahim Gobir.
The senate president, Mr. Ahmad Lawan, had called for the exercise to be moved forward from where it was listed on the order paper.
According to Punch, Gobir moved that the senate resolve into the committee of the whole to conduct the screening as well as suspend its relevant rules to admit the acting CJN Ariwoola and his entourage into the chambers.
The motions were approved by the Senate after the senators by Lawan.
Thereafter, the acting CJN Ariwoola and all justices of the Supreme Court, president of the Court of Appeal, president of the Federal High Court, president of the National Industrial Court and secretary of the National Judicial Council walked into the chambers and took their seats.
The delegation was led by the special adviser to the president on national assembly matters, Mr. Babajide Omoworare.
During the screening, the CJN responded to questions posed to him by the lawmaker.
According to The Nation, those who grilled Ariwoola were the deputy senate president, Mr. Ovie Omo-Agege, chairman, senate committee on judiciary and legal matters, Mr. Opeyemi Bamidele, minority leader of the senate, Mr. Philip Aduda, Messrs Gabriel Suswam and Bala Ibn Na’Allah.
Ariwoola has been holding the office since the resignation of Ibrahim Muhammad.
Muhammad resigned after 14 justices of the apex court accused him of abandoning his responsibilities as the leader of the court.
In July, President Muhammadu Buhari asked the senate to confirm the appointment of Ariwoola as CJN.
“Pursuant to section 231 (1) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended; I forward for confirmation by the senate of honourable Justice Olukayode Ariwoola as the chief justice of Nigeria,” Buhari had said.
