JUST IN: Kudirat Kekere-Ekun Sworn in as Nigeria’s Chief Justice

Justice Kudirat Motonmori Kekere-Ekun has officially assumed the role of the 23rd Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) following her swearing-in ceremony conducted by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The ceremony took place at the State House in Abuja on Friday morning.

Justice Kekere-Ekun, who will serve in an acting capacity pending Senate confirmation, took the judicial oath at approximately 11:38 AM. Shortly thereafter, she took her seat in the Council Chambers beside the President, marking her formal entry into office.

Her appointment follows the recent retirement of Justice Olukayode Ariwoola. Justice Kekere-Ekun was nominated by the National Judicial Council (NJC) on August 15 and subsequently presented to President Tinubu for the prestigious role. She becomes the second woman in Nigerian history to hold the position, after Justice Aloma Mariam Mukhtar, who served as CJN from 2012 to 2014.

The swearing-in ceremony was attended by a host of dignitaries, including several Justices of the Supreme Court, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and representatives from the House of Representatives led by Prof. Julius Ihonbvere. Also present were Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwoolu and former CJN Justice Olukayode Ariwoola.

Other notable attendees included Secretary to the Government of the Federation George Akume, National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, Chief of Staff to the President Femi Gbajabiamila, and the Minister of Information and National Orientation Mohammed Idris.

Justice Kekere-Ekun, born on May 7, 1958, in London, United Kingdom, began her legal career after graduating from the University of Lagos in 1980. She was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1981 and earned a Master of Law degree from the London School of Economics in 1983.

Her judicial career commenced as a Senior Magistrate II in Lagos State Judiciary, later rising to the position of State High Court Judge. She also served as Chairman of the Robbery and Firearms Tribunal, Zone II, Ikeja, from 1996 to 1999. In 2004, she was appointed to the Court of Appeal, a testament to her significant contributions to the Nigerian judiciary.