President Bola Tinubu has sworn in Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun as the 23rd Chief Justice of Nigeria, while awaiting her confirmation by the Senate.
On Friday, 23 August, 2024 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.
Kekere-Ekun’s inauguration makes her the second female CJN in the country’s history, after Aloma Mariam Mukhtar, who was CJN from July 2012 to November 2014.
Here is what you should know about the New Chief Justice of Nigeria.
Kudirat Motonmori Olatokunbo Kekere-Ekun was born on May 7, 1958, in London, United Kingdom, to Nigerian parents, Hassan Adisa Babatunde Fasinro and Winifred Layiwola Ogundimu (née Savage). Her father was a lawyer and politician, while her mother was a UK-trained nurse. She is the eldest of eleven siblings in a polygamous home.
Kekere-Ekun began her secondary education in 1970 at Queens College, Lagos, and later studied law at the University of Lagos from 1977 to 1980. She then proceeded to the Nigerian Law School and was called to the bar in July 1981. After completing her National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) from 1981-82 at the Ministry of Justice in Benin City, Edo (then Bendel state), she furthered her education at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), obtaining a master's degree in law in 1983.
In December 1983, she married Mr. Akin Kekere-Ekun, OFR, a former Managing Director of the now-defunct Habib Bank Nigeria Plc. Their union is blessed with three children.
Kekere-Ekun started her judicial career as a senior magistrate Grade II in Lagos in December 1989. She rose through the ranks, becoming a high court judge in July 1996. She was one of three judges selected to try cases under the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Establishment Act, 2004, and the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
In 2003, she was a member of the committee that produced the Code of Conduct for Judicial Employees under the National Center for State Courts and the UNODC. She also chaired the Public Complaints and Training Committee from February 2003 to July 2004, as part of a pilot project to strengthen judicial integrity in Lagos State.
Notable judgments delivered by Kekere-Ekun include:
- The January 2020 Supreme Court judgment that sacked Emeka Ihedioha and proclaimed Hope Uzodinma as the lawful Imo state governor.
- The Kogi State Governorship dispute between APC and James Faleke following the death of Abubakar Audu, affirming Yahaya Bello as Governor.
- The 2020 Osun State Governorship dispute between Gboyega Oyetola and Ademola Adeleke, affirming Oyetola as Governor.
On Friday, at 11:40 am, President Bola Tinubu swore her in as the 23rd Chief Justice of Nigeria, pending her confirmation by the Senate, at the Council Chamber of the State House, Abuja. She is the second female Justice to hold the position.
