Hon. Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun was appointed Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) in August 2024, becoming the second woman to hold this position. She was elevated to the Supreme Court in 2013, marking her as the fifth woman to reach that level. Her distinguished judicial career began in 1989 as a Magistrate Court judge in Lagos State, followed by roles as a Justice of the Lagos High Court and the Court of Appeal.
Her appointment as CJN comes amid declining public confidence in the judiciary. Factors contributing to this distrust include age falsification by judges, contradictory rulings on identical cases from courts of equal authority, decisions that disregard legal precedents, and the judiciary’s growing influence in determining election outcomes. A significant issue facing the judiciary is the lack of financial independence, with judges often relying on the executive branch for essential resources like vehicles and housing.
In recent years, several senior judicial officers have escaped accountability for misconduct, such as age falsification and embezzlement, raising doubts about the judiciary’s ability to self-regulate through the National Judicial Council (NJC). Public skepticism about potential reforms under Justice Kekere-Ekun may stem from the Supreme Court’s controversial unanimous ruling in the 2019 Imo State gubernatorial election, which awarded victory to a ruling party candidate who had initially finished fourth.
Despite these challenges, Justice Kekere-Ekun has indicated a readiness to address judicial reforms. Last month, the NJC recommended the compulsory retirement of two judges over alleged age falsification. She has publicly acknowledged that certain judicial officers are damaging the judiciary’s reputation and emphasized that the legal system must not only deliver justice but align with society’s moral values. These actions signal her potential commitment to tackling the systemic issues within Nigeria’s judicial system.