Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun has been sworn in as the 23rd Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the State House in Abuja.
She will serve in an acting capacity until her appointment is confirmed by the Senate.
Justice Kekere-Ekun took her Oaths of Office at approximately 11:38 a.m. and assumed her position in the Council Chambers to the left of the President at exactly 11:45 a.m.
Here are 12 things to know about new CJN Kekere-Ekun
1. Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun was born on May 7, 1958.
2. She bagged her law degree from University of Lagos and was called to the Nigerian bar in 1981.
3. Thereafter, she proceeded to the London School of Economic and Political Science to obtain an LL.M. in November 1983.
4. Justice Kekere-Ekun’s legal career started in Lagos as a private lawyer from 1985 to 1989.
5. In December 1989, she was appointed a Senior Magistrate Grade II, Lagos State Judiciary.
6. 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.
7. 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).
8. She was elevated to the Supreme Court of Nigeria as the 5th female Justice of the Court and was sworn in on Monday, July 8, 2013.
9. The incoming CJN has attended numerous courses and seminars within and outside Nigeria and also received several merit awards.
10. She is a life Bencher and a member of the International Association of Women Judges and currently its President.
11. In October 2022, a Nigerian national honour of Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR) was conferred on her by President Muhammadu Buhari.
12. She is happily married with children.
