Justice Olukayode Ariwoola Sworn In As Acting CJN

President Muhammadu Buhari has sworn Justice Kayode Ariwoola in as Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN).

He performed the ceremony in the Executive Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

Justice Ariwoola became the presumptive lead justice of the Supreme Court, following the sudden resignation of Justice Tanko Muhammad as CJN over health reasons.

Ariwoola, who arrived in the company of fellow Justices of the Supreme Court at about 2.45pm in a white tinted coaster bus, headed straight for the Council Chambers.

Ariwoola is the third Supreme Court Justice to occupy the top judiciary job of the country in the life of the Buhari administration.

Justice Walter Onnoghen became the CJN under the President Buhari administration before he resigned from office.

Buhari administered the oath of office on Ariwoola at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The acting CJN was accompanied to the ceremony by some Justices of the Supreme Court.

The President also conferred the second highest national honour of the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) on the former CJN, Muhammad during the ceremony.

He is the next in rank to Mohammed who suffered a vote of no confidence from 14 of the 15 Supreme Court Justices.

Justice Ariwoola was born on August 22, 1958.

His Lordship studied law at the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), Ile Ife and bagged his bachelor of laws degree with honors in July, 1980. In July 1981, Olu Ariwoola was called to the Nigeria bar and got enrolled at the Supreme Court of Nigeria as a Solicitor and Advocate soon thereafter.

Justice Ariwoola was first appointed a Judge of Superior Court of record in Oyo State in 1992 from private legal practice. Before his elevation to the Supreme Court, he served as Justice of Court of Appeal in Kaduna, Enugu and Lagos Divisions.

He was appointed a Justice of the Supreme Court in 2011. He was a Justice of the Court of Appeal between 2005 and 2011 after having been elevated from the State High Court of Oyo State.

He is next in rank to the retiring Chief Justice of the Federation, Justice Muhammad Tanko.

Justice Olukayode Ariwoola retires in 2028.