By Ken Chiwendu
President Bola Tinubu has inaugurated Justice Kudirat Kekere – Ekun as the Chief Justice of Nigeria CJN.
The new Chief Judge was sworn in two hours ago at the State House in Abuja.
Kekere – Ekun replaced Justice Olukayode Ariwoola who retired from service on Thursday, August 22 having attained 70 years.
Dignitaries who attended the swearing in include the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, Representative of the Speaker Tajudeen Abass, the immediate past CJN, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, Governor Sanwo – Olu of Lagos, and the Secretary of the Government of the Federation, George Akume
Others are the National Security Adviser,Nuhu Ribadu,Femi Gbajiabiamila, the Chief of Staff to the President, and Mohammed Idris, Minister of Information and National Orientation..
Justice Kekere – Ekun was born on May 7,1958 in London, United Kingdom.
She attended Queens College, Lagos in 1970 and on completion, proceeded to the University of Lagos where she studied Law from 1977-1980. She later proceeded to the Nigerian Law school and was called to the Bar in July,1981.
Kekere – Ekun also earned a Masters Degree in Law from the London School of Economics and Political Science in 1983.
She is the second female to be appointed as the CJN after Justice Aloma Mariam Muktar who served between July 2012-November2014.
Kekere -Ekun began her career in the judiciary as a Senior Magistrate Grade 2 in Lagos in 1989 and was appointed Judge on July 19,1996.
She was elevated to the Court of Appeal in September 2004.
On July 8,2013, Justice Kekere – Ekun was appointed as a Justice of the Supreme Court making her the fifth and youngest female to be so appointed to the apex court.
