As Ariwoola retires, Kudirat Kekere-Ekun sets to be Nigeria’s next Chief Justice

All things being equal, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun is set to become the next Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) following the retirement of the current CJN, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, on August 22, 2024.

Born on May 7, 1958, Justice Kekere-Ekun is a graduate of the University of Lagos where she obtained her LL.B in 1980 and later proceeded to the London School of Economics and Political Science to bag LL.M in 1983.

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Kekere-Ekun, who was called to the Nigerian Bar on July 10, 1981, began her judicial career in private practice before she was appointed as a Senior Magistrate Grade II in Lagos State in December 1989. She became a High Court Judge in Lagos State on July 19, 1996, and later served as the chairman of the Robbery and Firearms Tribunal from November 1996 to May 1999.

She was later elevated to the Court of Appeal in 2004 and subsequently made a Supreme Court judge in 2013. While her predecessor is spending two years as CJN, Kekere-Ekun, who is 66 years-old may serve up to four years as CJN. 

In 2020, Kekere-Ekun was on the seven-member panel that sacked Imo State governor Emeka Ihedioha and declared that the winning candidate was Hope Uzodinma of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who originally came fourth in the election results. 

Aside from her everyday assignments in court, Kekere-Ekun previously served as a member of the Ethics Curriculum Planning Committee of the National Center for State Courts (NCSC), in collaboration with the Department for International Development (DFID) and UNODC. She also chaired the Public Complaints and Training Committee that was part of the UNODC pilot project on strengthening judicial integrity and capacity in Lagos State.

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She was a recipient of many awards including the Merit Awards of the Lagos State Judiciary, in December 2003 and in September 2013. She was twice awarded the Distinguished Trailblazers Awards by the Nigerian Bar Association Women Forum in 2012 and 2014). She’s a member of the National Association of Women Judges; International Association of Women Judges; Body of Benchers – Life Bencher W.E.F. 8th February 2018; Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (Fellow); and International Dispute Resolution Institute (Fellow). She is also a member of the Ikoyi Club 1938.

Kekere-Ekun is married to Akin Kekere-Ekun and the union is blessed with three children who are all graduates and excelling in their chosen fields.