FOR a long time it looked as if the big one would never come. At a point he resigned to fate when it seemed that he would leave the bench in an acting capacity, without ever becoming the substantive Chief Judge of Kwara State. Ayinla Olatunji Bamigbola had every reason to feel that way. He was first appointed Acting Chief Judge of Kwara State in 2009 and after three months, the then Governor of the state, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, extended his tenure in acting capacity for three more months. In the short period, he acquitted himself creditably well with the nitty gritty of the office; contributing significantly to the growth of the judiciary and to a smoother dispensation of justice. Legal luminaries and leading administrators in the state attested to these achievements. But then, his term ended by February 2010 and some arguments began to emerge within the general public that, having served for two different ocassion in acting capacity he could not be immediately reappointed into that position, Not that he could not have been elevated to take up the position as the dejure Chief Judge; the fact of the matter was that there was a litigation over the removal of his predecessor with the state government and appointing a substantive Chief Judge while the matter was yet to be resolved was seen as impolitic and legally untenable. And so he served in that acting capacity till February 2010. Some felt it was the end of his rather illustrious career at the highest bench in Kwara State. Convinced that he had done his best in administering justice without fear or favor and that he had contributed his quota to the development of the judiciary in Kwara State and the country's legal system, he took the back seat. But fate summoned him to the front seat again. A combination of factors led to his being reappointed as Acting Chief Judge on September 17,2012. The appointment was subsequently confirmed and he was sworn in as the substantive Chief Judge of Kwara State on December 13, 2012. For Ayinla Bamigbola who, aside his many elegant qualities is an enthusiastic bundle of humility, a trait he inherited from his father, December 13,2012 was a day with destiny. It was the day he was made substantial chief judge of the state. His story is a classic case of a meteoric rise from grass to grace. It is truly an epic tale of a man who started his life as many things which include a bicycle repairer, blacksmith, teacher and pools agent but he weathered the storms and, through tenacity of purpose and grace of God rediscovered the path to greatness and rose to the pinnacle of his chosen profession in his home state.
