The Justice next in rank to Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Justice Ibrahim Tanko Mohammed has been identified.
He is Justice Olukayode Ariwoola and is expected to be sworn in any moment as the acting CJN.
This comes after Mohammed resigned on Monday over alleged ill-health.
Justice Ariwoola was born on August 22, 1958.
His Lordship studied law at the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), Ile Ife and bagged his bachelor of laws degree with honors in July, 1980. In July 1981, Olu Ariwoola was called to the Nigeria bar and got enrolled at the Supreme Court of Nigeria as a Solicitor and Advocate soon thereafter.
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.
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.
He is next in rank to the retiring Chief Justice of the Federation, Justice Muhammad Tanko.
Justice Olukayode Ariwoola retires in 2028.
