President Bola Tinubu has sworn in Kudirat Kekere-Ekun as
the acting chief justice of Nigeria (CJN).
The swearing-in ceremony took place on Friday at the State
House in 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.
The acting CJN took her oath of office at about 11:38am and
took her allotted seat in the council chambers — on the left of the president —
at exactly 11:45am.
Among those who witnessed the event were other justices of
the supreme court; Senate President Godswill Akpabio; the leadership of the
house of representatives led by Julius Ihonbvere; Babajide Sanwoolu, governor
of Lagos; and Olukayode Ariwoola, immediate past CJN.
Also present were George Akume, secretary to the government
of the federation (SGF); Nuhu Ribadu, national security adviser (NSA); Femi
Gbajabiamila, chief of staff to the president; and Mohammed Idris, minister of information
and national orientation.
BACKGROUND
Kekere-Ekun was born on May 7, 1958, in London, United
Kingdom.
Her journey in the legal profession commenced at the
University of Lagos where she obtained her first degree in law in 1980.
She was called to the Nigerian Bar on July 10, 1981.
She was awarded a Master of Law in November 1983 at the
London School of Economics.
Kekere-Ekun began her career as a senior magistrate II in
the Lagos state judiciary before gaining promotion to the position of state
high court judge.
She also served as the chairman of the Robbery and Firearms
Tribunal, Zone II, Ikeja, from November 1996 to May 1999.
Kekere-Ekun was appointed to the court of appeal in 2004 in
recognition of her contributions to the development of the judiciary.
SENATE CONFIRMATION
By constitutional provisions, Kekere-Ekun will occupy the
office in an acting capacity, as the next most senior justice of the supreme
court.
However, her assumption of the office in a substantive
capacity is not automatic.
Section 231(5) of the constitution provides that unless the
National Judicial Council (NJC) recommends otherwise, the acting CJN can only
occupy the position for three months from the date of his/her appointment.
The senate would have to confirm her in line with section
231(1) of the constitution.
On August 15, the NJC recommended Kekere-Ekun to Tinubu for
appointment as CJN.
The recommendation was made during NJC’s 106th meeting
presided over by Olukayode Ariwoola, the immediate past CJN.
Ariwoola bowed out of office on August 22, having attained
the mandatory retirement age of 70.
Tinubu cut short his “brief work stay” in France to swear in
Kekere-Ekun.
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