Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun has taken oath the oath of office as the Chief Justice of Nigeria. Her choice is subject to confirmation by the Senate.
Her swearing-in followed President Bola Tinubu’s return to Abuja on Friday after a trip to France.
President Tinubu who had cut short his trip, swore in the new Chief Justice of Nigeria on Friday at the Council Chambers in the state House.
Justice Kekere-Ekun succeeds Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, who bowed out on Thursday after clocking the retirement age of 70 years.
The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale who in a statement on Thursday, noted that 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 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,” the statement added.
READ ALSO: CJN Ariwoola bows out, calls for measures to ease Supreme Court burden
The National Judicial Council last week recommended Justice Kekere-Ekun to President Tinubu as Ariwoola’s successor.
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.
By their hierarchies, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun is the most senior Justice on the apex court bench which puts her in the 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. She bagged her law degree from University of Lagos and was called to the Nigerian bar in 1981.
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 started in Lagos as a private lawyer from 1985 to 1989.
In December 1989, she was appointed a Senior Magistrate Grade II, Lagos State Judiciary. She later became a Judge of the High Court of Lagos State on July 19, 1996 and served as Chairman Robbery and Firearms Tribunal, Zone II, Ikeja, Lagos from November 1996 to May 1999.
Kekere-Ekun was elevated to the Court of Appeal on 22nd September 2004 where she served in various Divisions of the Court and as presiding Justice of two Divisions of the Court (Makurdi & Akure).
She was elevated to the Supreme Court of Nigeria as the 5th female Justice of the Court and was sworn in on Monday 8 July 2013.
The incoming CJN has attended numerous courses and seminars within and outside Nigeria and also received several merit awards.
Currently, she is a life Bencher and a member of the International Association of Women Judges and currently its President.
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