Amidst embarrassment a lawyer and Television analyst Dr Sam Amadi who posted the picture of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Olukayode Ariwoola on wheelchair at airport has tendered his apology.
The picture of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Olukayode Ariwoola, he posted on Thursday has beet generating mixed reactions.
Online media had used and insinuated that the CJN went for a meeting with the country’s “president-elect”, Bola Tinubu in London.
The lawyer, who also works as a television analyst, in another tweet, on Friday, described his action as unnecessary, saying he had since deleted the photograph on his handle.
The photo of the CJN in a wheelchair about to board an airplane at an airport went viral on social media, with people, including some online platforms, speculating that he was on his way to meet with a popular political figure, alleged to be Tinubu.
He also stated that he did not post the photo or tweet to embarrass the CJN or anyone else, but was simply responding to a report on the issue by an online platform.
“Yesterday I posted a picture of an elder man on wheelchair who happens to be the CJN. I have deleted the tweet because, in retrospect, it is not necessary. The tweet was in reference to the PG story and not intended to embarrass. I apologise to all offended by the tweet,” the lawyer tweeted.
The Supreme Court on Friday also confirmed that the Chief Justice of Nigeria travelled to the United Kingdom for medical treatment but denied that he met with Tinubu in London.
The Director of Information Akande Festus told The Daily Times on Sunday that the CJN has been vindicated by the apology.
He said that it’s unfortunate that some persons have been carrying out vicious attacks on the judiciary and its head for sometime now for interior motives.
He said that contrary to the false report that Justice Ariwoola travelled out of Nigeria on March 11 to the United Kingdom, ” CJN has been in Nigeria and presided over meeting of the National Judicial Council (NJC) held on 16 and 17 March.”
He said that Ariwoola travelled to London on March 18, on held ground and accompanied by the Secretary NJC Gambo Saleh
Meanwhile , a senior advocate of Nigeria, Jibrin Okutepa, has said those promoting the news of the alleged meeting between the chief justice of Nigeria, Kayode Ariwoola and president-elect, Bola Tinubu are sick.
Reacting to the report in a Twitter thread on Friday, Mr Okutepa blamed the deteriorating state of the judicial arm for the embarrassing report.
He also bemoaned some legal practitioners who joined in spreading the report, describing it as a sacrilege.
“The legal profession is sick and on oxygen in Nigeria. The ethics and etiquette of the profession are gone. No sanctions. Otherwise, how do we explain the news making round even amongst lawyers that a whole Chief Justice of Nigeria disguises himself to meet a named politician.
“And some Nigerian lawyers are posting it. What a shame. So because CJN was seen on wheelchairs, means his lordship is disguising himself to meet politician. What a sacrilege. Why did the legal profession deteriorate to this level.
“Nobody is feeling bad that the CJN may not be well and had to be on a wheelchair. No empathy. But we can speculate on unfounded and unverified story. No reasonable person should promote falsehood. I think those promoting this news are sick. We must not destroy our judiciary,” Mr Okutepa wrote.