Senate confirms new CJN
The Senate has completed its review of the acting Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola.
Ariwoola was subsequently announced by the senate to be the new Chief Justice of Nigeria.
“The nomination of Honourable Justice Olukayode Ariwoola is confirmed as Chief Justice of Nigeria,” the senate said.
In June, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola was sworn in as interim Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) by President Muhammadu Buhari following Justice Ibrahim Tanko’s abrupt departure due to illness.
It had been stated that the acting Nigerian Chief Justice would be screened on September 21, 2022, a Wednesday.
However, on Wednesday at 11:35 a.m. in the plenary, the Senate Leader, Senator Ibrahim Gobir, moved the motion for the screening.
The screening procedure had been requested to be moved up from where it was posted on the order paper by Senate President Ahmad Lawan.
Gobir moved that the Senate suspend its applicable norms and use the Committee of the Whole to perform the screening and allow the acting CJN Ariwoola and his entourage access to the chambers.
The Senate gave its approval to the motions.
Following their entrance, the acting CJN Ariwoola, all Justices of the Supreme Court, the Presidents of the Federal High Court, the Court of Appeal, the National Industrial Court, and the National Judicial Council entered the chambers and took their places.
Senator Babajide Omoworare, Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters, served as the delegation’s leader.