Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun was on Friday sworn in as the new Chief Justice of Nigeria(CJN) by President Bola Tinubu, DAILY GIST reports.
This follows the retirement of the current CJN, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, on August 22, 2024.
Justice Kekere-Ekun is the second female CJN in Nigeria’s history, succeeding Justice Mariam Aloma Mukhtar, who served from 2012 to 2014.
Below are things you probably didn’t know about the new CJN, Kekere-Ekun;
1. She was born in London, United Kingdom, on 7 May 1958 to Alhaji Senator H.A.B. Fasinro, OFR, and Mrs Winifred Layiwola Ogundimu.
2. She attended Queen’s College, Lagos, for her secondary education, after which she obtained her LL.B in 1980 from the University of Lagos and her LL.M from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) in November 1983.
3.She was called to the Nigerian Bar on 10 July 1981 after completing her compulsory one-year National Youth Service at the Ministry of Justice, Benin City, Edo State (previously Bendel State).
4. Justice Kekere-Ekun began her career in private practice from 1985 to 1989 before being appointed as a Senior Magistrate Grade II in the Lagos State Judiciary in December 1989.
5. She was appointed as a judge of the High Court of Lagos State on 19 July 1996. From November 1996 to May 1999, she served as the Chairman of the Robbery and Firearms Tribunal, Zone II, Ikeja, Lagos.
6. She was elevated to the Court of Appeal on 22 September 2004, where she served in various divisions and presided over two divisions of the court in 2021 and 2022, respectively.
7. Justice Kekere-Ekun was elevated to the Supreme Court Bench as the fifth female justice on Monday, 8 July 2013.
8. In 2003, she served as a member of the National Centre for State Courts (NCSC) Ethics Curriculum Planning Committee, which collaborated with the Department for International Development (DFID) and the UNODC to develop the Code of Conduct for Judicial Employees.
9. Justice Kekere-Ekun married Mr Akin Kekere-Ekun, OFR, in December 1983, and the marriage is blessed with three children.
10. Following her emergence as the new CJN, she became the second female to hold the position of CJN after Justice Mariam Aloma Mukhtar, who served as CJN between July 2012 and November 2014.
At 66 years old, Justice Kekere-Ekun is expected to serve a term of up to four years, compared to the average two-year tenure of her predecessors.
Her appointment also place her at the helm of the National Judicial Council (NJC), which oversees the appointment, promotion, and discipline of judges across Nigeria.
Elevated to the Court of Appeal in 2004, Justice Kekere-Ekun served in various divisions and was the presiding justice of the Makurdi and Aku Divisions. She was appointed to the Supreme Court in July 2013 as its fifth female justice.
Justice Kekere-Ekun’s anticipated appointment comes at a time when the judiciary is seeking stability, following the controversial departures of previous CJNs.
Her appointment is subjected to confirmation by the Nigerian Senate.
The CJN serves until the mandatory retirement age of 70 or can be removed through impeachment by the Senate.
