Nigeria’s new Acting Chief Justice, Hon Justice Olukayode Ariwoola is right now swimming in controversy, less than 48 hours after President Buhari swore him in to replace Hon. Justice Tanko Muhammad, who quit the job on Monday morning.
The first of the controversies is the question mark over Ariwoola’s date of birth. According to information on the website of the Supreme Court, the Acting Chief Justice, was born in Iseyin, Oyo State in 1958. He was listed to have started his primary education less than a year later in 1959 at the Local Authority Demonstration School, Oluwole, in his hometown.
When eyebrows were raised on this anomaly, the website was alleged to have edited and deleted the ‘1958’ birthdate and replaced same by saying “he was born over 60 years ago”.
According to section 291 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as Amended), a Supreme Court judge is expected to retire at the age of 70.
This effectively means that if Ariwoola was born in 1958, he would serve as the CJN from 2022 to 2024 (if confirmed by the Senate).
Right now however, his CV with the Supreme Court is said to have 1954 as his real date of birth. This means the Chief Justice will serve as the head of the apex court from 2022 to 2028.
Again, the new Acting CJN, is alleged to be having health issues. It was said that some northern justices were against his appointment on health grounds.
They alleged that the illness might affect Ariwoola’s performance as the leader of the supreme court just as it did the immediate past CJN.
