15 Things To Know About Acting CJN, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola

President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday, June 27, 2022, swore in Justice Kayode Ariwoola as Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN.

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

Below are 15 things you should know about the new acting CJN, Justice Ariwoola

1. Ariwoola was born on August 22, 1955, to the family of Ariwoola of Iseyin in Oyo State.
2. His educational career commenced in his home town at the Local Authority Demonstration School, Oluwole in Iseyin Local government of Oyo State between 1959 and 1967.
3. 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.
4. He studied Law at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife where he obtained his bachelor of laws degree with honours in July 1980.
5. In July 1981, Ariwoola was called to the Nigeria bar and later got enrolled at the Supreme Court of Nigeria as a Solicitor and Advocate thereafter.
6. Ariwoola started his career as a State Counsel on National Youth Service (NYSC) at the Ministry of Justice, Akure, Ondo State, and later as a Legal Officer in the Ministry of Justice, Oyo State until 1988 when he voluntarily left the State Civil Service for private practice.
7. 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.
8. Justice Ariwoola was a Chairman, Board of Directors at Phonex Motors Ltd, one of Oodua Investment conglomerates between 1988 and 1992.
9. 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).
10. On November 22, 2011, he was sworn in as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria (JSC) between May 1993 and September 1996.
11. He was also the Chairman, of the Armed Robbery Tribunal, Oyo State, and was later posted out of the headquarters, Ibadan to Saki High Court.
12. Justice Ariwoola has served on the Election Tribunals in Zamfara and Enugu States in 1999 and also on election Appeal Courts in Port-Harcourt, Enugu, Benin, Yola, and Ilorin at various times.
13. He is also a fellow of the International Dispute Resolution Institute (FIDRI) following his induction in Dubai, U.A.E in 2014.
14. He has attended several International and National conferences and workshops in France, Atlanta Georgia, UK and Dubai, UAE.
15. Ariwoola is the third Supreme Court Justice to occupy the top judiciary job of the country in the life of the Buhari administration.