Ariwoola in the Eye of the Storm

This is not the best of times for the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Olukayode Ariwoola. This is not unconnected with the questionable integrity of the judiciary under his watch, and the petitions filed by the aggrieved political parties and their presidential candidates who took part in the February 25 election.

Last week, the Supreme Court responded to the allegations that he met with President Bola Tinubu to influence the decision of the Presidential Election Petition Court.

The apex court denied that there was no such meeting, saying there was no iota of truth in the rumour.

But the dust was yet to settle when Justice Ariwoola provoked the ire of Nigerians while declaring open the 2023 Nigerian Bar Association- Section on Legal Practice (NBA-SLP) conference, where he reportedly urged jurists and legal professionals not to sit by and watch the country degenerate.

The CJN urged them to wake up to their role of charting a course for national development.

He urged lawyers to embrace honesty, transparency and integrity, saying they must distinguish themselves and not be afraid to fight for a just society.

But this did not sit well with a cross-section of Nigerians who felt that he talked about integrity, honesty and transparency when the judiciary under his watch still condoned the excesses of the political class.

They recalled that it was under his watch that people who never contested primary elections won the main general election.

They cited cases of the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio and his predecessor, Dr. Ahmad Lawan, who were alleged not to have contested senatorial primary elections but returned to the Senate.

It is hoped that Justice Ariwoola knows that what Nigerians want is justice and equal treatment to all.