In a pivotal moment for Nigeria’s judiciary, the Senate on Wednesday confirmed Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun as the substantive Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) after a comprehensive screening. This confirmation followed President Bola Tinubu’s formal request to the Senate, submitted just a day earlier, urging swift approval of her nomination.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio read Tinubu’s letter during Tuesday’s plenary, citing Section 231(1) of the Nigerian Constitution, which empowers the President to appoint the CJN based on recommendations from the National Judicial Council (NJC), pending Senate confirmation. Tinubu lauded Kekere-Ekun’s judicial acumen and expressed his confidence in her ability to lead Nigeria’s judiciary with integrity and distinction.
“I trust that this request will receive the Senate’s prompt consideration and approval,” the President emphasized in his letter.
The NJC had earlier, in August, recommended Kekere-Ekun to succeed the retired Justice Olukayode Ariwoola. At 66 years old, Kekere-Ekun becomes the 23rd CJN and only the second woman in Nigeria’s history to occupy this prestigious position, following Justice Aloma Mariam Mukhtar.
Born on May 7, 1958, in London, Kekere-Ekun’s illustrious legal journey began at the University of Lagos, culminating in her call to the Nigerian Bar in 1981.
