“The 66 year-old iron lady was the no-nonsense Chairman of the Robbery and Firearms Tribunal, Zone II, Ikeja, Lagos from November 1996 to May 1999.”
President Bola Tinubu Friday, sworn in Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun as the new Chief Justice of Nigeria.
The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, earlier gave the hint in a statement.
The swearing-in ceremony took place at the Council Chambers of the State House in Abuja, the nation’s capital.
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Justice Kekere-Ekun succeeds Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, who bowed out on Thursday after clocking the retirement age of 70 years.
Here are 10 things to know about the 66 year-old no-nonsense iron lady who is now the new Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN).
1. Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun is the most senior Justice on the apex court bench, which puts her in the position to succeed Justice Ariwoola.
2. She is one of the top female Justices in the nation’s apex court.
3. The 66-year-old jurist was born on May 7, 1958.
4. She bagged her law degree from University of Lagos and was called to the Nigerian bar in 1981.
5. She thereafter proceeded to the London School of Economic and Political Science to obtain an LL.M. in November 1983.
6. Justice Kekere-Ekun’s legal career started in Lagos as a private lawyer from 1985 to 1989.
7. 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.
8. 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).
9. 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.
10. 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.
11. She is happily married with children.
Eulogies
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 by the presidential aide read.
Justice Ariwoola had served as Justice of the Court of Appeal in Kaduna, Enugu, and Lagos divisions before his elevation to the Supreme Court in 2011.
He was sworn in as Chief Justice of Nigeria on September 21, 2022 by former President Muhammadu Buhari and had also served the nation in diverse capacities as a judicial officer.
NJC’s recommendation
The National Judicial Council (NJC) had last week recommended Justice Kekere-Ekun to President Tinubu as Ariwoola’s successor.
NJC spokesman, Soji Oye, who disclosed this in a statement, had said the decision was taken following the Council’s 106th Meeting presided over by the CJN Justice Olukayode Ariwoola.
This is imperative as Hon. Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, GCON, formally bowed out of office as the Hon. Chief Justice of Nigeria next week Thursday, 22 August 2024,” the statement read.
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.
Quick Facts About Justice Kekere-Ekun
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