President Muhammadu Buhari has charged the acting Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Olukayode Ariwoola to ensure the judiciary does not fail Nigerians as the country approaches the 2023 general elections.
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports President Buhari gave the charge to Justice Ariwoola while admonishing the Justices of the Supreme Court to always remain faithful and bear true allegiance to the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Recall that Justice Ariwoola was sworn in on Monday as acting CJN following the resignation of Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammed as CJN on health grounds.
“In the circumstances, and as nature abhors a vacuum, I hereby invite Honourable Olukayode Ariwoola JSC, being the next most Senior Justice of the Supreme Court, to come forward to take the Judicial Oath as Chief Justice of Nigeria in an Acting Capacity, pursuant to Section 231(4) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
“I want to admonish the Justices of the Supreme Court to always remain faithful and bear true allegiance to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and to remain steadfastly committed to the Oath of Allegiance which they all subscribed to, as contained in the 7th Schedule to the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).
“Our Nation is approaching a critical general election in 2023, the Judiciary must not do anything to fail the ordinary people of Nigeria which may make them lose confidence in the Judiciary,”. Buhari said while conducting the swearing-in.
TNG reports Justice Ariwoola was born on August 22, 1958. 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.
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.
TNG reports Ariwoola will retire by 2028.