The National Judicial Council (NJC) has forwarded the name of Justice Kudirat Motonmori Kekere-Ekun to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for consideration as the next Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN).
The recommendation follows the NJC’s 106th meeting, held on August 14 and 15, 2024, in Abuja.
The Council also recommended 27 candidates for appointment as judges across various state courts and one candidate for Kadi of the Sharia Court of the FCT, Abuja. These recommendations have been sent to the respective state governors and the President.
The current CJN, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, presided over the meeting and is set to retire on August 22 at the mandatory age of 70. Justice Kekere-Ekun, if confirmed, will be the second woman to hold the position, following Justice Aloma Mukhtar, who served from July 2012 to November 2014.
However, Justice Kekere-Ekun’s nomination comes amidst allegations of false asset declaration. A group known as the Oduduwa Descendants Coalition for Justice has petitioned the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), accusing the judge of failing to fully declare her assets during her previous appointments.
In a letter dated August 10, 2024, and signed by the group’s National Coordinator, Comrade Kehinde Johnson Olawale, the petition claims that Justice Kekere-Ekun did not submit asset declaration forms during her tenure as Chair of the Robbery and Firearms Tribunal in 1999, as well as during her time as a Justice of the Court of Appeal in 2013. Furthermore, the group alleges that the asset declarations made after she assumed office as a Supreme Court Justice contained discrepancies.
The petition calls for a thorough investigation by the CCB to prevent potential embarrassment should the allegations prove to be true. The group emphasized the importance of ensuring that only individuals of impeccable character ascend to the highest judicial office in the country.
The NJC’s recommendation is now awaiting the President’s consideration, while the allegations remain under scrutiny.
