The Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola has reportedly proceeded on a medical trip to London to attend to an undisclosed medical ailment, thenigerialawyer.com reports.
The news platfotm quoted sources privy to the CJN’s trip to have disclosed that the head of Nigeria’s judiciary departed the country via Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
Ariwoola was said to have travelled out on March 11, 2023, according to reports by a couple of other news platforms.
Remarkably, he was said to have been pushed in a wheelchair through the terminals to board a British Airways flight.
Curiously, the CJN has not been known to be suffering from any physical disability or incapacitation up until the time of writing this report.
His “secret” medical trip comes on the heels of the avalanche of electoral litigations referred to the judiciary for resolution after the just concluded elections.
While, as of press time, details of the CJN’s recent trip remained hazy and publicly unavailable following lack of official communication from the Supreme Court, in another twist to the issue, Peoples Gazette, earlier on Thursday, reported that the CJN was scheduled to meet with the President elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu to discuss matters not unconnected to the petitions filed against the latter’s election and declaration.
The Labour Party and Peoples Democratic Party Presidential candidates, Mr Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar, respectively, have filed petitions ilat the Tribunql challenging Tinubu’s victory.
According to the report, with Mr Tinubu now in Europe, he would be meeting Mr Ariwoola in a secret arrangement to discuss issues unknown to Nigerians.
“The CJN deliberately left the country more than a week ahead of Tinubu to avoid any suspicion about why both of them disappeared at once,” a source familiar with the development was quoted to have said.
“That is why he travelled secretly, and Tinubu also travelled secretly.”
Shortly after Mr Tinubu’s trip was reported, his media aides issued a statement saying he was going to be in Paris and London briefly before heading to Saudi Arabia for prayer rites. His return date was not disclosed.
But, many Nigerians expressed immediate doubt about the statement’s credibility, especially as it was not volunteered before the trip was uncovered.
The Gazette had temporarily withheld the CJN’s photos and the specific hotel he stayed in to protect a source central to this story.
According to the Peoples Gazzete report, the Supreme Court spokesperson turned down a request for clarification on the whole controversy by immediately and abruptly ending a phone call put to him and declining the pick afterwards.
The National Judicial Council declined comments about Mr Ariwoola’s suspicious activity.
Tinubu’s spokespersons also declined comments on Thursday afternoon. (Culled from The Nigeria Lawyer except rejjided headline and minor edits to body text)
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