President Bola Tinubu on Friday sworn in Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun as the 23rd Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) by at the State House, Abuja.
The new CJN, whose swearing in by the President was sequel to her nomination by the National Judicial Council (NJC) on August 15, will operate in acting capacity until her confirmation by the Nigerian Senate.
After the brief ceremony, Justice Kekere-Ekun sat at the right hand of the President in the Council Chambers,
Kekere-Ekun has become the second Nigeria female jurist to serve as the Chief Justice of Nigeria, after Justice Aloma Mariam Mukhtar, who was the CJN between July 2012 and November, 2014.
Among the dignitaries who witnessed her swearing in were other Justices of the Supreme Court; the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-olu, Senate President, Godswill Akpabio; the House of Representatives’ representative, by Prof- Julius Ihonbvere; and immediate past Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola.
Also at the ceremony were the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume; Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila; National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu; Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris; among others.
The new CJN obtained her first degree in law in 1980 and was called to the Nigerian Bar after she completed the Nigeria Law School on July 10, 1981. She earned her Master of Law (LLM) in 1983 at the London School of Economics.
Kekere-Ekun started her career in the judiciary as a Senior Magistrate II in the Lagos State Judiciary before she was elevated to State High Court Judge. She was appointed to the Court of Appeal in 2004 in recognition of her contribution to the development of the judiciary and meritoriously served since then until her nomination by the NJC and swearing in by President Tinubu today as Acting CJN.
