The National Judicial Council (NJC) is set to meet on Friday, August 16, to select the successor to the current Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, who is scheduled to retire on August 22 after reaching the mandatory retirement age of 70.
A reliable source within the Supreme Court revealed on Tuesday that the NJC has arranged a meeting for this Friday to deliberate on the appointment of the next CJN. The source, who preferred to remain anonymous due to the sensitive nature of the information, mentioned that any candidate recommended during the NJC’s meeting would be presented to President Bola Tinubu for approval.
“The NJC is set to convene on Friday to decide on the nominee for the next CJN. No name has been sent to the President yet, as the NJC has not held its meeting,” the source informed PUNCH.
The Supreme Court currently has a full bench of 21 Justices. Following the tradition of the court, the most senior Justice is expected to be named the next CJN.
Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, the most senior Justice currently serving on the Supreme Court bench, is the likely candidate to succeed Justice Ariwoola.
Justice Ariwoola will officially retire as the CJN on August 22, 2024, having reached the compulsory retirement age. The Supreme Court has scheduled a valedictory session on that date to honor his service to the nation.
Justice Ariwoola, who hails from Oyo State, was appointed as CJN on October 12, 2022, following the retirement of Justice Tanko Mohammed from Bauchi State.
According to Section 231(4) of the 1999 Constitution, Justice Ariwoola’s retirement paves the way for the appointment of a new CJN, with the most senior Justice on the Supreme Court bench expected to assume the position. This suggests that Justice Kekere-Ekun is set to take on this role.
A source within the Supreme Court previously confirmed to The PUNCH that Justice Kekere-Ekun’s appointment as the next CJN is “highly certain.”
“This one is very certain. Normally, three names would be submitted, but the most senior is already preparing to take over,” the source said.
If confirmed, Justice Kekere-Ekun will become the second woman to serve as Chief Justice of Nigeria, following Justice Aloma Mukhtar, who held the position from July 2012 to November 2014.
Upon her confirmation, the 66-year-old Justice Kekere-Ekun will lead the judiciary for a four-year term, ending in 2028 when she reaches the retirement age of 70.
Justice Kekere-Ekun, a distinguished life bencher, began her legal career in private practice from 1985 to 1989. She was then appointed as a Senior Magistrate Grade II in the Lagos State Judiciary in December 1989. On July 19, 1996, she became a judge of the High Court of Lagos State and later chaired the Robbery and Firearms Tribunal, Zone II, Ikeja, Lagos, from November 1996 to May 1999.
She was elevated to the Court of Appeal on September 22, 2004, where she served in various divisions, presiding over the Makurdi and Aku divisions in 2021 and 2022, respectively. Justice Kekere-Ekun was appointed as the fifth female Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, taking her oath of office on Monday, July 8, 2023.
