Justice Kayode Ariwoola, who was born on August 22,1958, is currently the most senior jurist on the Supreme Court bench.
He would, barring any last minute change of plan, step in as the Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, following the resignation of Justice Ibrahim Muhammad from the position on Monday.
Here are some of the things you need to know about the new CJN.
Justice 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.
Prior to becoming a Justice of the apex court, Justice Ariwoola, was appointed a judge of the Oyo State High Court in 1992 and later made a Justice of the Court of Appeal in November 2005.
He subsequently served as Justice of the Court of Appeal in Kaduna, Enugu, and Lagos divisions.
On November 22, 2011, he was elevated to the Supreme Court bench.
He is a member of the Nigerian Bar Association, the International Bar Association, and the Nigerian Body of Benchers, and has attended many International and National conferences and workshops in France, Atlanta Georgia, UK and Dubai, UAE.
Remarkably, Justice Ariwoola was a member of the seven-man panel of Justices of the Supreme Court that upheld the outcome of the 2019 presidential election that was declared in favour of President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressive Congress, APC.
The panel, which dismissed an appeal that was lodged before the apex court by candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and runner up in the election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, was presided over by Justice Muhammad who resigned to pave way for the emergence of Justice Ariwoola as Acting CJN.
Other members of the panel that affirmed Buhari’s election, were Justice Bode Rhodes-Vivour (retired), Justice Amiru Sanusi (retired), Justice John Inyang Okoro (to retire July, 2029), Justice Ejembi Eko (retired) and Justice Uwani Abba-Aji (to retire 2026).
Justice Ariwoola will be due for retirement in 2028 when he will clock the 70 years mandatory retirement age.
