Kayode Ariwoola, who was born on August 22, 1958, is the Supreme Court’s most senior justice.
Ariwoola was sworn-in Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Monday, following the resignation of Justice Ibrahim Muhammad.
Background
Between 1959 and 1967, Ariwoola began his education at the Local Authority Demonstration School, Oluwole, in the Iseyin Local Government Area of Oyo State.
He graduated from the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), Ile Ife, Osun State in 1980. He was called to the Nigeria bar and got enrolled at the Supreme Court of Nigeria as a Solicitor and Advocate in July 1981.
Ariwoola worked as state counsel for National Youth Service (NYSC) at the Ministry of Justice, Akure, Ondo State. He later moved on to become a legal officer in the Ministry of Justice, Oyo State until 1988 when he voluntarily left the state civil Service for private practice.
He had worked as counsel in Chambers of Chief Ladosu Ladapo, SAN between October 1988 and July 1989 when he established Olukayode Ariwoola & Co – a firm of Legal Practitioners and Consultants in Oyo town in August 1989 from where he was appointed in November 1992 as a Judge of Oyo State Judiciary.
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Before his appointment to the Supreme Court on November 22, 2011, Justice Ariwoola was appointed to the Oyo State High Court in 1992 and later to the Court of Appeal in November 2005.
He later served as a Justice of the Court of Appeal in the divisions of Kaduna, Enugu, and Lagos.
He is a member of the Nigerian Bar Association, the International Bar Association, and the Nigerian Body of Benchers, and has attended numerous International and National conferences and workshops in France, Atlanta, Georgia, the United Kingdom, and Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Ariwoola was a member of the Supreme Court’s seven-member panel that upheld the outcome of the 2019 presidential election, which was declared in favour of President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The panel, which dismissed an appeal filed before the Supreme Court by Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and runner-up in the election, was presided over by Justice Muhammad, who resigned to allow Justice Ariwoola to take over as Acting CJN.
Justices Bode Rhodes-Vivour (retired), Justice Amiru Sanusi (retired), Justice John Inyang Okoro (to retire in July 2029), Justice Ejembi Eko (retired), and Justice Uwani Abba-Aji were also on the panel that confirmed Buhari’s election (to retire 2026).
When Justice Ariwoola reaches the mandatory retirement age of 70 in 2028, he will be eligible for retirement.
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