President Muhammadu Buhari has written the Senate seeking the confirmation of the nomination of Hon. Justice Olukayode Ariwoola as the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN).
The request is contained in a letter dated July 25 and read by the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, at the start of plenary on Tuesday.
The letter reads, “Pursuant to Section 231(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), I forward for confirmation by the Senate, the appointment of Hon. Justice Olukayode Ariwoola as the Chief Justice of Nigeria.
“While I hope that the submission will be considered in the usual expeditious manner, please accept, Distinguished Senate President, the assurances of my highest consideration.”
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Ariwoola’s appointment as CJN by President Buhari was sequel to the resignation of former Chief Justice Muhammad Tanko on June 27.
Tanko’s resignation was against the backdrop of a protest by 14 aggrieved Justices over issues of welfare.
However, the former CJN, in his resignation letter, cited health grounds as reason for his decision.
NAN reports that Ariwoola, born on Aug. 22, 1958, was appointed a Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in 2011.
Before his elevation to the Court of Appeal bench in 2011, he served as a judge of the High Court of Oyo State, a position he was appointed to in 1992 from private legal practice.
Ariwoola started his education in his home town Iseyin at the Local Authority Demonstration School, Oluwole in Iseyin Local government of Oyo State between 1959 and 1967.
He was in the Muslim Modern School in the same town between 1968 and 1969 before proceeding to Ansar-Ud-Deen High School, Saki in Oyo North of Oyo State.
He studied law at the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), Ile Ife, Osun State, and bagged his bachelor of laws degree with honours in July 1980.
He was called to the Nigeria bar and got enrolled at the Supreme Court of Nigeria as a Solicitor and Advocate soon thereafter.
The jurist, who hails from Iseyin in Oyo State, had earlier before his appointment to the highest bench of the land served as a Justice of the Court of Appeal between 2005 and 2011.
In another letter to the Senate dated July 22, Buhari requested the upper chamber to confirm the nomination of Dr Suleiman Afikpo as Commissioner representing the South-east zone, at the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria.
He explained that the request was in accordance with the provision of Section 3(2) of the Hajj Commission Act. Cap. 321, Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 2004.