The Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari has recently sworn in Justice Olukayode Ariwoola as the new acting Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN after the former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Tanko Muhammad tendered in his resignation.
Olukayode Ariwoola had been sworn in on Monday while he was at the Council Chambers in Abuja.
He had taken over from the immediate past CJN, Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad who had tendered in his resignation on Monday due to health reasons.
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Justice Ariwoola was born on the 22nd of August 1958 and is currently the most senior Justice of the Supreme Court.
He was formerly a Justice of the Court of Appeal and was elevated to the Supreme Court bench following his transfer from the State High Court of Oyo State. Ariwoola started his educational career in his home town Iseyin at the Local Authority Demonstration School, Oluwole, in the Iseyin Local government of Oyo State between 1959 and 1967
Until his resignation, reports had it that Justice Muhammad was seriously ill.
It had been previously reported that up to 14 justices of the Supreme Court had written him a letter to lament the decrepit state of affairs in the apex court. In the leaked letter, the Justices accused the CJN of refusing to address the issues despite drawing his attention to them.
They complained of a lack of residential accommodation and vehicles at the court.
The justices further accused the CJN of gallivanting with his “spouse, children and personal staff,” while not allowing them to travel with an assistant on foreign trips.
The justices decried the lack of legal research assistants, despite the magnitude of cases being adjudicated.
On erratic electricity supply, the justices said they have been confined to work between the “hours of 8 a.m and 4 p.m daily, for lack of diesel,” after they were notified of the development by the Supreme Court’s Chief Registrar, Hajo Bello.
Meanwhile, Justice Tanko Muhammed did not attend the opening of the training for Judges on Alternative Dispute Resolution organized by the National Judicial Institute, amidst reports of resignation.
Although no Supreme Court Justice is present at the event. Training of Judges by the Institute is usually declared open by the CJN or any of his representatives. however, the Administrator of the Institute, Justice Garba has opened the session.