CJN Clarifies: Ariwoola Born In 1954, Not 1958 – S’Court Tells Nigerians

Nigeria Supreme Court has cleared the air on the purported inconsistency in the age record of the recently sworn in Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola.

On the sanctioned website of the Supreme Court, Justice Ariwoola was born in Iseyin, Oyo state, on August 22, 1958 and began his primary education in 1959 at the Local Authority Demonstration School, Oluwole, in his birthplace.

Specifically, the details on the website suggested that he was lower than one time when he began his primary education.

But the Director of Information of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, Dr Festus Aweneri told Vanguard that the magistrate was born in 1954 and not 1958 and that he started his primary academy education in 1959.

He displayed the capsule in the sanctioned record of the Supreme Court in respect of the magistrate to douse the pressure raised.

It would be recalled that lower than 24 hours after he was sworn into office as the Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria( CJN), there were rumours that Justice Olukayode Ariwoola might have entered into a reproach of age falsification.

But the capsule which surfaced from the sanctioned record of the Supreme Court on the issue said the CJN was born on the 22nd of August 1954 in Oke Ogun Area of Oyo state,

Commenced his education at Local Authority Demonstration Primary School from 1959 to 1966, from whence he moved to Muslim Modern School from 1967 to 1969.

According to the resumè, he’d University education at the University of Ife( now Obafemi Awolowo University) between 1977 and 1980, and also do to the Nigeria Law School in 1980.

Justice Ariwoola’s name was submitted to President Muhammadu Buhari to replace Justice Tanko Muhammad who abnegated his appointment on Monday.

He surfaced the successor of Tanko in line with the age-long tradition at the bench to the effect that when the peremptory head of court vacates office either by reason of death, withdrawal, abdication or sack, the most elderly judge takes over.

The tradition is to insure pungency and zero rancour in the bench on issue of race.

Justice Ariwoola who took his pledge of office on Monday is anticipated to serve in acting capacity for a outside of three months until evidence by the National Judicial Council( NJC) and the National Assembly.

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At the swearing- in form in the presidential manor, the acting CJN swore to be faithful and bear true constancy to the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

In the meantime, some northern judges were said to be against his appointment on the ground that the 68- time-old is allegedly battling health issues.

They contended that the illness might affect Ariwoola’s performance as the leader of the supreme court just as it affected the immediate history CJN.

The coming in scale to him, Musa Dattijo Muhammad, is also said to be veritably ill and had just had a surgery