By
On the 30th of September, President Tinubu administered the oath of office to Kudirat Motonmori Olatokun also known as Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, officially appointing her as the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN).
The ceremony took place at the Council Chamber of the State House in Abuja and was attended by Vice President Kashim Shettima, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas, and several ministers including Muhammed Idris (Information), Nyesom Wike (FCT), Lateef Fagbemi (Justice), and Zephaniah (Special Duties).
Justice Kekere-Ekun’s confirmation by the Nigerian Senate preceded her appointment, marking her as the 23rd Chief Justice of Nigeria and the second woman to hold this esteemed position after Justice Alooma Mukhtar.
Justice Kekere-Ekun began her career in the judiciary in the capacity of the Senior Magistrate II in the Lagos State Judiciary before being promoted to the status of State High Court Judge.
She also served as the chairman of the Robbery and Firearms Tribunal, Zone II, Ikeja from November 1996 to May 1999.
She was appointed to the Court of Appeal in 2004 in recognition of her contribution to the development of the judiciary.
This was followed by her promotion as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in July 2013.
Her service to the judiciary was acknowledged in October 2022 by President Muhammadu Buhari who awarded her the national honours of the Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR).
