President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday swore in Justice Olukayode Ariwoola as the Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) following the resignation of Justice Tanko Muhammad. Justice Tanko resigned on Monday citing ill health.
Being the next-highest ranking justice of the apex court, Justice Ariwoola was inaugurated at the presidential villa in Abuja.
What you should know about Justice Ariwoola
Born to the family of Ariwoola of Iseyin in the sixties, Justice Ariwoola was born on the 22nd of August. His educational career commenced in his home town Iseyin at the Local Authority Demonstration School, Oluwole in Iseyin Local government of Oyo State between 1959 and 1967.
Between 1968 and 1969 he was in the Muslim Modern School in Iseyin before subsequently proceeding to Ansar-Ud-Deen High School, Saki in Oyo North of Oyo State.
He studied law at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife where he obtained his bachelor of laws degree with honors in July, 1980.
In July 1981, He was called to the Nigeria bar and later got enrolled at the Supreme Court of Nigeria as a Solicitor and Advocate soon thereafter.
He worked at the Ministry of Justice in Ondo state in as the State Counsel on National Youth Service (NYSC) and later as a Legal Officer in the Ministry of Justice in Oyo State until 1988 when he voluntarily left the official bar of the State Civil Service for private practice.
He was a 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 as a Judge of Oyo State Judiciary in November 1992.
Justice Ariwoola served as Chairman, Board of Directors at Phonex Motors Ltd, one of Oodua Investment conglomerates between 1988 and 1992.
He was sworn in as a Judge of the High Court on 2nd November 1992 and on November 22, 2005, he was sworn in as a Justice of the Court of Appeal (JCA).
On November 22, 2011, he was sworn in as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria (JSC) between May 1993 and September 1996, He was Chairman, Armed Robbery Tribunal, Oyo State and was later posted out of the headquarters, Ibadan to Saki High Court.
Justice Ariwoola has served on the Election Tribunals in Zamfara and Enugu States in 1999 and Appeal Courts in Port-Harcourt, Enugu, Benin, Yola and Ilorin at various times.
He is also a fellow of the International Dispute Resolution Institute (FIDRI) following his induction in Dubai, U.A.E in 2014. He has attended several International and National conferences and workshops in France, Atlanta Georgia, UK and Dubai, UAE.
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