New Acting CJN Emerges After Tanko Resigns

New Acting CJN Emerges After Tanko Resigns

Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Olukayode Ariwoola has been administered the oath of office after Tanko Mohammed resigned on Monday.

President Muhammadu Buhari administered the oath of office on Ariwoola.

Ariwoola’s emergence followed the sudden resignation of Justice Tanko Muhammad, who was allegedly forced out of office in the wake of allegations bordering on corruption.

Buhari warned the Supreme Court justices against any act that could make Nigerians lose confidence in the judiciary as the country prepared for national elections next year.

But the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) said despite the cordial working relationship between the Bar and the Bench under Muhammad, it was impossible to consider his resignation in isolation from the recent developments at the Supreme Court, where 14 justices censured him over his handling of their welfare and related issues.

Nonetheless, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, commended the former CJN for seizing the initiative to resign, just as Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde congratulated the new CJN for reaching the peak of his career.

Muhammad’s sudden resignation on health grounds had raised suspicion among critical stakeholders, a majority of whom held the view that there was more to it.

However, new facts emerged that he did not resign out of his own freewill, but was actually forced out over multiple allegations of corruption. Some of the allegations were said to have involved his children, two of who emerged candidates of the two leading political parties – the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and PDP – at their recent primaries.

Although details of the corruption allegations were not out yet as at the time of filing this report, Muhammad was actually forced to resign immediately after interrogation by security agencies, which denied him the privilege of mulling his options because of the facts before them.

It was further gathered that since the emergence of his children as candidates of the two main political parties, the administration in which he served had become uncomfortable over the possibility of compromise at critical times.

Curiously, the timing of Muhammad’s resignation and the recent petition by 14 justices of the Supreme Court, who more or less questioned his capacity and handling of the affairs of the apex court, further corroborated insinuations that his resignation was not on health grounds.
Muhammad would be the second CJN to be forced out of office under the Buhari administration, in similar circumstances, the late Justice Walter Onoghen being the first.

Fourteen justices of the apex court had specifically protested, among others, the non-availability of basic amenities both in their chambers and homes, which, according to them, was capable of shutting down activities at the final court. In a protest letter to the CJN, dated March 23, 2022, they complained that poor welfare had hindered their job.

The grievances of the justices included the non-replacement of vehicles, accommodation problems, lack of drugs at the Supreme Court clinic, epileptic electricity supply to the Supreme Court, increase in electricity tariff, failure to increase diesel allowances, and lack of Internet services to their residences and chambers.
Others were internal problems, which included non-signing of amended Rules of Court for almost three years, sudden stoppage of two to three foreign workshops and trainings per annum for Justices, and no provision of qualified legal assistants.