President Tinubu Seeks Senate Confirmation Of Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun As Chief Justice of Nigeria
President Bola Tinubu has formally requested the Senate to confirm the appointment of Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun as the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN). The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, read Tinubu’s letter during the plenary session on Tuesday.
In the letter, Tinubu referenced Section 231(1) of the Nigerian Constitution, which grants him the authority to appoint the CJN based on recommendations from the National Judicial Council (NJC), pending Senate approval. He expressed confidence in Justice Kekere-Ekun’s nomination and urged the Senate to expedite the confirmation process.
“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.
Senate President Akpabio subsequently referred the nomination to the Committee of the Whole for further deliberation in the next legislative session.
In August, the NJC recommended Justice Kekere-Ekun to President Tinubu as the successor to former CJN, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, who recently retired. Justice Kekere-Ekun, aged 66, has been serving as Acting CJN since Justice Ariwoola’s retirement.
Justice Kekere-Ekun will be 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, United Kingdom, Kekere-Ekun began her legal career at the University of Lagos, where she earned her law degree in 1980.
