The Senate has commenced the screening of Honourable Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun as the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN).
On Wednesday, September 25, Senate Leader Senator Opeyemi Bamidele of Ekiti Central proposed a reordering of the day’s agenda to prioritize Kekere-Ekun’s screening. She arrived at the Senate Chamber at 12:30 PM, accompanied by other Justices of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal.
The proposal to allow her and other visitors into the Chamber was seconded by Deputy Minority Leader Senator Oyewumi Olalere of Osun West.
Kekere-Ekun was led into the Chamber by Senator Basheer Lado, the Special Adviser to the President on the Senate.
President Bola Tinubu had written to the Senate on Tuesday, requesting the screening and subsequent confirmation of Honourable Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun as CJN. The letter was read by Senate President Senator Godswill Akpabio when the Senate resumed from its annual break.
The letter stated, “Pursuant to Section 231(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria of 1999, as amended, which gives the President the power to appoint the Chief Justice of Nigeria on the recommendation of the National Judicial Commission (NJC) and subject to Senate confirmation, I have the honour to forward the nomination of Honourable Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun for confirmation as CJN.”
Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun was sworn in as the 23rd Chief Justice of Nigeria on August 23, 2024, by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the State House in Abuja. She is currently serving in an acting capacity pending Senate confirmation.
Kekere-Ekun is the second woman to hold the position of Chief Justice in Nigeria, following Justice Aloma Mariam Mukhtar, who served from July 2012 to November 2014. Born on May 7, 1958, in London, she began her legal career at the University of Lagos, obtaining her law degree in 1980, and was called to the Nigerian Bar on July 10, 1981.
Further details will be provided as the screening process continues.
