Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Olukayode Ariwoola has retired after reaching the mandatory retirement age of 70.
A valedictory session was held in his honour on Thursday at the Supreme Court premises in Abuja.
Ariwoola’s legal career began when he earned his Bachelor of Law degree with honours from the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) in July 1980.
He was called to the bar a year later and enrolled as a solicitor at the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
Over the years, he served as a judge of the Oyo State High Court before being elevated to the Court of Appeal in 2005.
Ariwoola was appointed as the substantive CJN by former President Muhammadu Buhari on October 12, 2022, following the resignation of his predecessor, Ibrahim Muhammad, under controversial circumstances.
In accordance with judicial convention, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, the next most senior justice of the Supreme Court, is expected to take over in an acting capacity.
The National Judicial Council (NJC) has already recommended her to President Bola Tinubu as the next CJN.
