Just-in: senate confirms Justice Ariwoola as CJN

The senate has confirmed the appointment of Olukayode Ariwoola as the substantive Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN).

Daily Independent reliably gathered that Ariwoola was screened and subsequently confirmed through a voice vote on Wednesday, September 21.

During the screening by the Committee of the Whole inside the Senate chambers, Justice Ariwoola responded to questions posed to him by the Senators.

Senators who asked questions included the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, Chairman, Senate Committee on Judiciary and Legal Matters, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, Minority Leader of the Senate, Senator Philip Aduda, Senator Gabriel Suswam and Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah.

At exactly 12:45 pm, Senators requested that the acting CJN be asked to take a bow and go “having sufficiently responded to questions posed to him.”

Thereafter, the Senate reverted to plenary where the lawmakers unanimously approved his appointment as the new CJN.

Before his approval by the Senate, Ariwoola has been holding the office since the resignation of former CJN, Ibrahim Muhammad.

Muhammad resigned after 14 justices of the apex court accused him of abandoning his responsibilities as the leader of the court.

In July, President Muhammadu Buhari asked the senate to confirm the appointment of Ariwoola as CJN.