The Senate on Wednesday confirmed the appointment of Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun as the substantive Chief Justice of Nigeria following her screening.
This confirmation followed President Bola Tinubu’s formal request to the Senate on Tuesday, seeking her approval for the role.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio read Tinubu’s letter during plenary, in which the President invoked Section 231(1) of the Nigerian Constitution, allowing him to appoint the CJN based on the National Judicial Council’s recommendation, subject to Senate approval.
President Tinubu expressed confidence in Justice Kekere-Ekun’s nomination and urged the Senate to expedite the confirmation process.
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“I hereby forward the nomination of Honourable Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, CON, for confirmation as the Chief Justice of Nigeria. I trust that this request will receive the Senate’s prompt consideration and approval,” Tinubu stated in his message to the lawmakers.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio referred Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun’s nomination to the Committee of the Whole for deliberation during the next legislative session.
In August, the National Judicial Council (NJC) recommended Justice Kekere-Ekun to President Tinubu as the successor to former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola.
The 66-year-old jurist has been serving as Acting CJN since Justice Ariwoola’s retirement last month.
Kekere-Ekun becomes the 23rd Chief Justice of Nigeria and the second woman to hold the position. The first female CJN was Justice Aloma Mariam Mukhtar, who served from July 2012 to November 2014.
Born on May 7, 1958, in London, Justice Kekere-Ekun began her legal career after earning her law degree from the University of Lagos in 1980. She was called to the Nigerian Bar on July 10, 1981, after completing the Nigerian Law School.
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