President Bola Tinubu has formally inaugurated Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun as the Chief Justice of Nigeria.
Kekere-Ekun took the oath of office and signed the oath register at 11.40 am at the Council Chamber of the State House, Abuja on Friday.
This follows the retirement of Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, who assumed office on June 27, 2022, and retired from office after attaining the mandatory age of 70 years.
Kekere-Ekun would be the 23rd Chief Justice of Nigeria when the Senate confirms her appointment.
Justice Kekere-Ekun, is the second Nigerian female jurist to serve as the Chief Justice of Nigeria, after Justice Aloma Mariam Mukhtar, who was the Chief Justice of Nigeria from July 2012 and November, 2014.
Among those who witnessed the event were other Justices of the nation’s apex Court; the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio; the leadership of the House of Representatives, represented by House Leader, Hon Julius Ihonbvere; the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwoolu; and immediate past Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola.
Also present were the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume; National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu; Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila; Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris.
Ajuri Ngelale Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, had disclosed on Thursday that Tinubu would swear in Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun as the new Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) as the President had returned early from his trip to France for the oath-taking ceremony of the acting CJN.
The National Judicial Council (NJC) had on August 15 recommended Kekere-Ekun to the president as Ariwoola’s sucessor.
Born on May 7, 1958, in the United Kingdom, Kekere-Ekun had her primary, secondary and tertiary education in Nigeria. She earned her LL.B degree from the University of Lagos in 1980 and was called to the Nigerian Bar in July 1981 after completing the Nigerian Law School.
Kekere-Ekun began her legal journey in private practice until she was appointed as a Senior Magistrate Grade II in the Lagos State Judiciary in December 1989.
Her judicial career progressed when she was appointed as a Judge of the High Court of Lagos State on July 19, 1996. Justice Kekere-Ekun was promoted to the Court of Appeal on September 22, 2004.
