Meet the new acting CJN Justice Olukayode Ariowoola

By Tunfe Abatan

Justice Olukayode Ariowoola 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 former Chief Justice of the Federation, Justice Muhammad Tanko.

Justice Olukayode Ariwoola retires in 2028.
If his appointment is confirmed by the Senate as is mandatory,he will spend seven years in office as Chief Justice of Nigeria.
Ariwoola is coming in at a time when the apex court is riddled with unpalatable stories of gross mismanagement and low morale in the judiciary.
It will be recalled that few weeks ago fourteen Justices of the apex court petitioned the former Chief Justice on the condition of service and living of the men of bench asking him to salvage what is left of the judiciary and by extension the nations legal system.