President Muhammadu Buhari has sworn Justice Kayode Ariwoola in as Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) following the sudden resignation of Justice Tanko Muhammad as CJN over health reasons.
The ceremony was performed at the Executive Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa in Abuja yesterday.
Olukayode Ariwoola (born 22 August 1958) is a Nigerian jurist and Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria who serves as the Acting Chief Justice of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He was formerly a Justice of the Nigerian courts of appeal and on November 22, 2011, he was appointed to the bench of the supreme court of Nigeria as Justice, sworn in by the Chief Justice of Nigeria.
He was appointed and awaiting the National Assembly’s approval as substantive Chief Justice of Nigeria on the 27th June 2022 following the resignation of incumbent Chief Justice Tanko Muhammad.
Ariwoola was born in Iseyin, Oyo State, started his primary education in Local Authority Demonstration School, Oluwole in Iseyin local government area of Oyo State between 1959 and 1967. He then proceeded to Muslim Modern School in the same town from 1968 to 1969 and later attended Ansar-Ud-Deen High School Sarki, Oyo State where he completed his High School.
Ariwoola graduated from the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), Ile Ife, Osun State where he obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Law (LLB). He was called to the Nigerian bar and got enrolled at the Supreme Court of Nigeria as a Solicitor and Advocate in July 1981.
Ariwoola started his career as a State Counsel on National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) at the Ministry of Justice, Akure, Ondo State and later as Legal Officer in the Ministry of Justice, Oyo State until 1988 when he voluntarily left the State Civil Service for private practice.
He had worked as Counsel in-Chambers of Chief Ladosu Ladapo, SAN between October, 1988 and July 1989 when he established Olukayode Ariwoola & Co – a firm of legal Practitioners and Consultants in Oyo town in August, 1989 from where he was appointed in November, 1992 as a Judge of Oyo State Judiciary.
He was Chairman, Board of Directors, Phonex Motors Ltd – one of Oodua Investment conglomerate between 1988 and 1992, Chairman, Armed Robbery Tribunal, Oyo State between May 1993 and September, 1996 when he was posted out of the headquarters, Ibadan to Saki High Court. Ariwoola before his elevation to the Supreme Court, served as Justice of Court of Appeal in Kaduna, Enugu and Lagos Divisions.
