Barring any last-minute developments, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun will take over as the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) on August 22, succeeding Justice Olukayode Ariwoola. This transition follows the tradition of the National Judicial Council (NJC), which typically recommends the most senior Justice of the Supreme Court to the President for appointment to the position of CJN.
Justice Ariwoola, who hails from Oyo State, will retire on August 22 after reaching the mandatory retirement age of 70. He was appointed CJN on October 12, 2022, following the retirement of Justice Tanko Mohammed from Bauchi State. A valedictory court session in honor of Justice Ariwoola has already been scheduled for Thursday, August 22.
If Justice Kekere-Ekun’s appointment is confirmed, she will become the second female Chief Justice of Nigeria, following in the footsteps of Justice Mariam Aloma Mukhtar, who held the position from July 2012 to November 2014. Justice Kekere-Ekun, who is currently the most senior Justice of the Supreme Court, is expected to be appointed by the NJC during their meeting on Friday, August 16, to finalize the decision.
Born on May 7, 1958, Justice Kekere-Ekun will guide the Nigerian judiciary for the next four years, until she reaches the mandatory retirement age of 70 in 2028. She has had a distinguished career, beginning in private practice from 1985 to 1989 before being appointed as a Senior Magistrate Grade II in the Lagos State Judiciary in December 1989.
She was later appointed as a judge of the High Court of Lagos State on July 19, 1996, and served as Chairman of the Robbery and Firearms Tribunal, Zone II, Ikeja, Lagos, from November 1996 to May 1999. Justice Kekere-Ekun was elevated to the Court of Appeal on September 22, 2004, where she served in various divisions and presided over two divisions in 2021 and 2022, respectively. She became the fifth female justice of the Supreme Court on July 8, 2013.
Justice Kekere-Ekun holds an LL.B. from the University of Lagos (1980) and an LL.M. from the London School of Economics and Political Science (1983). She was called to the Nigerian Bar on July 10, 1981. The Supreme Court, which currently has a full complement of 21 justices, will be under her leadership until her retirement in 2028.
