- Justice Kekere-Ekun is set to succeed Justice Ariwoola as the second Chief Justice of Nigeria
- Justice Kayode Ariwoola will finally bow out of office on August 22, 2024, as a result of the mandatory retirement age of 70 years
- TheRadar profiles of Kekere-Ekun, the incoming Chief Justice of Nigeria.
Kudirat Motonmori Olatokunbo, popularly known as “Kudirat Kekere-Ekun,” is set to emerge as the second female Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), succeeding Justice Kayode Ariwoola. The first female CJN was Mariam Aloma Mukhtar. She spent 28 Months in office between July 2012 and November 2014.
This implies that a woman will be taking the seat again after 10 years.
Justice Kayode Ariwoola, the incumbent CJN, assumed office on June 27, 2022. However, the strict retirement age of 70 years mandated that he pass the baton to another person. He will formally bow out of office on Thursday, August 22, 2024.
Justice Kekere-Ekun, currently a Justice in the Nigerian Supreme Court, is the most senior Justice, which favours her as Justice Ariwoola's successor.
Kekere-Ekun is currently 66 years old, meaning that she may spend up to 4 years in office as the CJN before retirement. Her position as the CJN also automatically makes her the head of the National Judicial Council (NJC), which is the body in charge of appointment, promotion, and discipline of Judges across the country.
The office of the CJN is recognised in the Nigerian Constitution as provided in Section 231(1) of the Constitution of The Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (As amended), “Appointment of a person to the office of the Chief Justice of Nigeria shall be made by the President on the recommendation of the National Judicial Council subject to confirmation by the Senate.”
Section 231(3) provides that: “A person shall not be qualified to hold the office of Chief Justice of Nigeria or a Justice of the Supreme Court, unless he is qualified to practice as a legal practitioner in Nigeria and has been so qualified for a period of not less than fifteen years.”
As regards the retirement of the CJN, the Constitution in Section 291(1) provides that: “A judicial officer appointed to the Supreme Court or the Court of Appeal may retire when he attains the age of sixty-five years and he shall cease to hold office when he attains the age of seventy years.
Profile of Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun
She was born on May 7, 1958 in London, United Kingdom and obtained her LL.B from the University of Lagos in 1980, and LL.M from the London School of Economics and Political Science in November 1983. She was called to the Nigerian Bar on July 10, 1981.
She was in private practice from 1985 to 1989 and was later appointed a Senior Magistrate Grade II, Lagos State Judiciary in December 1989.
She was appointed a Judge of the High Court of Lagos State on July 19, 1996. Also, she served as the chairman of the Robbery and Firearms Tribunal, Zone II, Ikeja, Lagos, from November 1996 to May 1999.
She was promoted to the Court of Appeal on September 22, 2004, where she served in various Divisions and as the presiding Justice of two Divisions of the appellate court (Makurdi and Aku) in 2011 and 2012, respectively.
In addition, she was promoted to the Supreme Court of Nigeria as the fifth female justice of the apex court and formally sworn in on Monday, July 8, 2013.
In pursuance of her career, she has attended numerous courses and seminars within and outside Nigeria and received several merit awards.
In 2022, President Muhammadu Buhari conferred on her the honour of Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR).
Justice Kekere-Ekun is also a life bencher, a member of the International Association of Women Judges and its president.
BREAKING: Court reinstates Philip Shuaibu as deputy governor of Edo State
Meanwhile, TheRadar previously wrote on Philip Shuaibu’s reinstatement as the Deputy Governor of Edo state by the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The case was presided over by Justice James Omotosho, he declared the decision to dismiss Shuaibu from his position as invalid and against legal provisions. He found out that the impeachment and subsequent dismissal is not in compliance with the provisions of the law.
The court also ordered the Inspector General of Police to reinstate the deputy governor's security details. This is to ensure that Shuaibu's security is restored to its prior status and to provide him with the necessary protection to carry out his duties effectively.
There were several reactions from netizens to Shuaibu's reinstatement.
