Tinubu To Swear In Justice Kekere-Ekun As CJN On Friday
On Friday, President Bola Tinubu will appoint Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun as the new Chief Justice of Nigeria.
In a statement on Thursday, Ajuri Ngelale, Special Advisor to the President on Media and Publicity, disclosed this.
He said the swearing-in ceremony will take place at the Council Chambers of the State House in Abuja, the nation’s capital.
Justice Kekere-Ekun will succeed Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, who bowed out on Thursday after reaching the mandatory retirement age of 70 years.
The President also congratulated Ariwoola, whose stint in the judiciary he described as a “successful public service career,” commending him for his services to the nation.
“President Bola Tinubu congratulates Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, GCON, as he retires as Chief Justice of Nigeria after a successful public service career,” the statement read.
“President Tinubu will swear in Justice Ariwoola’s successor at the State House Council Chambers on August 23, 2024.
“President Tinubu commends the eminent jurist for his services to the nation, noting his impactful leadership of the judiciary and his efforts in enriching Nigerian jurisprudence, as well as in strengthening the fibre of the law.”
Justice Ariwoola served as Justice of the Court of Appeal in Kaduna, Enugu, and Lagos divisions before his elevation to the Supreme Court in 2011.
Former President Muhammadu Buhari swore him in as Chief Justice of Nigeria on September 21, 2022, after he had served the country in a variety of judicial roles.
Last week, the National Judicial Council (NJC) recommended Justice Kekere-Ekun as Ariwoola’s successor to President Tinubu.
CJN Justice Olukayode Ariwoola presided over the Council’s 106th meeting, according to NJC spokesman Soji Oye, who revealed this in a statement.
“This is imperative as Hon. Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, GCON, will formally bow out of office as the Hon. Chief Justice of Nigeria next week Thursday, 22 August 2024,” the statement read.
The Supreme Court currently has the full complement of 21 justices. In the long tradition of the apex court, the next most senior Justice will step in, continuing the apex court’s long tradition.
According to their hierarchies, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun is the most senior Justice on the apex court bench, putting her in a position to succeed Justice Ariwoola.
Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun is one of the top female justices in the nation’s apex court.
The 66-year-old jurist was born on May 7, 1958. In 1981, she received her law degree from the University of Lagos and became a member of the Nigerian bar.
She thereafter proceeded to the London School of Economic and Political Science to obtain an LL.M. in November 1983.
Justice Kekere-Ekun’s legal career began in Lagos as a private lawyer in 1985 and continued until 1989.
The Lagos State Judiciary appointed her as a Senior Magistrate Grade II in December 1989. She later became a Judge of the Lagos State High Court on July 19, 1996, and served as Chairman of the Robbery and Firearms Tribunal, Zone II, Ikeja, Lagos, from November 1996 to May 1999.
On September 22, 2004, the court elevated Kekere-Ekun to the Court of Appeal, where she served in various divisions and as the presiding justice of two divisions (Makurdi & Akure).
On Monday, 8 July 2013, she took the oath of office as the 5th female Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
The incoming CJN has attended numerous courses and seminars within and outside Nigeria, as well as receiving several merit awards.
Currently, she is a life judge, a member of the International Association of Women Judges, and currently its president.
She is happily married with children.