Tinubu: Why CJN travelled to London - Supreme Court reacts

Nurudeen Shotayo 22:14 - 24 March 2023

Chief Justice of Nigeria, Olukayode Ariwoola. (Punch)

The apex court said Justice Ariwoola only had a brief stint in London where he travelled to for medical care.

The Supreme Court has debunked rumours of an alleged meeting between the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Olukayode Ariwoola, and the president-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

The social media has been awash with reports emanating from some media outlets (not Pulse) claiming that the CJN, disguised in a wheelchair and wheeled to London in an aeroplane, met with Tinubu.

A picture of the Justice being pushed in a wheelchair at what looked like the Abuja International Airport also surfaced online some hours after the news broke, which further heightened suspicion.

But, debunking the report in a statement on Friday, March 24, 2023, the Supreme Court’s Spokesperson, Festus Akande, rubbished the news as false.

Explaining further, Akande said the CJN indeed embarked on a trip outside the country, but it was mainly for medical care and not to meet with the president-elect as being speculated.

He said the CJN, who was accompanied by NJC’s Secretary, Gambo Saleh, travelled out of Nigeria briefly to London on 18 March for medical care.

Akande's words: “The CJN has been in Nigeria, and presided over meetings of the National Judicial Council (NJC) held on 16 and 17 March,”

“On 23 March, the CJN returned from his medical trip to London and later reported in the office (in Abuja), where he worked till 8p.m.”

“The only time the CJN travelled earlier this year was on 25 January, when he travelled for Lesser Hajj in Saudi Arabia. He returned on 29 January 2023.”