Senate is set to screen the acting CJN Ariwoola, tomorrow, Wednesday, for confirmation to substantive status.
By Emma Ogbuehi
The Senate will tomorrow screen the Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, for confirmation of his appointment in substantive capacity.
The President of the Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan announced this Tuesday during plenary.
Lawan who appealed to all Senators to be present in plenary tomorrow, Wednesday for required rigorous drilling of the Acting CJN for substantive capacity as Chief Justice of Nigeria, said, “Distinguished colleagues , tomorrow , Wednesday , 21st September 2022, has been fixed for screening and possible confirmation of Justice Olukayode Ariwoola as substantive Chief Justice of Nigeria ( CJN).
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“Please as usual, we all need to be at plenary during the screening exercise.” Letter for confirmation of Justice Ariwoola as Chief Justice of Nigeria was received by the Senate on Tuesday, July 26, 2002 from President Muhammadu Buhari.
The Senate could not consider the request for his confirmation immediately, as it adjourned for annual long recess the following day, July 27, 2022.
If confirmed by the Senate, Justice Ariwoola, 62, would be succeeding the immediate past CJN, Justice Tanko Muhammad, who resigned in June on health grounds
Until his resignation, according to reports, the immediate past CJN was seriously ill.
News of his resignation broke barely a week after 14 justices of the Supreme Court wrote to him to lament the dilapidated state of affairs in the apex court.
In the leaked letter, the justices alleged that Justice Muhammad failed to address the issues raised despite drawing his attention to them.
They had complained of a lack of residential accommodation and vehicles at the court, alleging that the former CJN was gallivanting with his ‘spouse, children and personal staff’ while not allowing them to travel with an assistant on foreign trips.
Even with an aide to the former CJN putting a lie to the allegations, he however resigned. The resignation led to the inauguration of Justice Ariwoola – the next most senior justice of the Supreme Court at the time of Justice Muhammad’s resignation, in acting capacity.
President Muhammadu Buhari administered the oath of office on Justice Olukayode Ariwoola as acting Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) at the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
