Barring any last-minute change, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun of the Supreme Court docket is about to emerge as the following chief justice of Nigeria (CJN).
If she assumes the workplace, Kekere-Ekun would turn out to be the second feminine justice in Nigeria to carry the exalted place after Mariam Aloma Mukhtar, who was CJN between July 2012 and November 2014, spending 28 months in workplace.
The present occupant of the workplace, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, who assumed workplace on June 27, 2022, will formally bow out on Thursday, August 22, 2024, after attaining the necessary retirement age of 70 years.
As essentially the most senior justice of the Supreme Court docket after Ariwoola, Justice Kekere-Ekun is favoured to clinch the place.
The incoming CJN, who’s 66 years previous, might keep as much as 4 years in comparison with the common of two years most of her predecessors held the place.
After 11 years on the Supreme Court docket, Justice Kekere-Ekun won’t solely turn out to be the following CJN but in addition head the Nationwide Judicial Council (NJC), which oversees the appointment, promotion, and self-discipline of judges throughout the nation.
Justice Kekere-Ekun was born on Might 7, 1958 and obtained her LL. B in 1980 from the College of Lagos and LL.M from the London College of Economics and Political Science in November 1983. She was referred to as to the Nigerian Bar on tenth July, 1981.
From 1985 to 1989, she was in non-public apply and was later appointed a Senior Justice of the Peace Grade II, Lagos State Judiciary in December 1989. She was appointed a choose of the Excessive Court docket of Lagos State on July 19, 1996. She served because the chairman of the Theft and Firearms Tribunal, Zone II, Ikeja, Lagos, from November 1996 to Might 1999.
Kekere-Ekun was elevated to the Court docket of Enchantment on twenty second September, 2004, the place she served in varied Divisions and because the presiding justice of two Divisions of the appellate court docket (Makurdi and Aku) in 2011 and 2012, respectively.
She was elevated to the Supreme Court docket of Nigeria because the fifth feminine justice of the apex court docket and sworn in on Monday, July 8, 2013.
She has attended quite a few programs and seminars inside and out of doors Nigeria and obtained a number of benefit awards.
Justice Kekere-Ekun can also be a life Bencher, a member of the Worldwide Affiliation of Ladies Judges and its president.
LEADERSHIP Sunday experiences that the judiciary has been within the eye of the storm, notably because the nation returned to democratic rule in 1999.
With Justice Kekere-Ekun assuming workplace within the subsequent few weeks, the succession battle within the Supreme Court docket could also be rancour-free for the primary time in 5 years.
Justice Walter Onnoghen, who served as CJN between seventh March, 2017 and twenty fifth January 2019, left controversially after he was accused of failing to declare his belongings.
His successor, Justice Tanko Muhammad, who assumed workplace on twenty fifth January, 2019, adopted virtually the identical sample after his fellow justices accused him of unfair therapy, notably within the space of their welfare. He voluntarily resigned on the grounds of ill-health on twenty seventh June, 2022.
The CJN is the top of the federal government’s judicial arm. He presides over the nation’s Supreme Court docket and the Nationwide Judicial Council.
The outgoing CJN (Ariwoola) was appointed appearing CJN on twenty seventh June, 2022 upon Justice Tanko Muhammad’s resignation and was confirmed by the Nigerian Senate on twenty first September, 2022.
The Supreme Court docket of Nigeria is the best, and its choices are last. The president nominates the CJN upon the advice by the NJC, and is topic to affirmation by the Senate.
The CJN holds workplace on the pleasure of the Nigerian structure and might solely be faraway from workplace resulting from dying or on attainment of age 70, whichever comes first, or by impeachment by the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which requires a brilliant majority of the Senate members.
Quick Keep In Workplace Based mostly On Guidelines – Senior legal professionals
Within the final 15 years, seven CJNs have presided over the affairs of the nation’s judiciary, which is about a mean of two years every for the occupants of that workplace.
Legal professionals have, nevertheless, lamented the quick keep in workplace of the CJNs.
Based on them, a mean of two years in workplace just isn’t sufficient to carry concerning the wanted reforms within the nation’s judiciary.
Nonetheless, some senior legal professionals who spoke to LEADERSHIP Sunday have been fast to say that the CJN’s workplace just isn’t a political appointment.
Based on them, it’s regulated by legislation.
A former attorney-general and commissioner for justice in Imo state, Chief Chukwuma-Machukwu Ume (SAN), mentioned the apex court docket just isn’t a political celebration whose programmes and insurance policies are private.
Based on him, the CJN is an administrator and isn’t anticipated to carry his agenda to run the court docket.
“The court docket is regulated by legislation, and the legislation is the legislation; there’s nothing you are able to do about it. The Supreme Court docket just isn’t a political celebration the place one man is anticipated to carry his agenda to the desk after successful election,” he mentioned.
One other lawyer, Barrister Abdul Balogun, mentioned guidelines for succession to the CJN’s workplace have already been laid down.
“Legal guidelines and guidelines information the judiciary, and any try and deviate from them is a name to lawlessness, which is able to negatively affect the nation’s judiciary.
“Within the judiciary as an entire, it’s a laid down rule that essentially the most senior assumes workplace upon a emptiness within the management of any court docket from the customary court docket to the Supreme Court docket. So, any try and deviate from that could be a name for chaos within the system,” he mentioned
Within the final 15 years, the nation has produced seven CJNs. Whereas a few of them left an indelible mark in workplace and within the minds of Nigerians with their insurance policies and reforms to the nation’s judiciary, others had their tenures characterised by controversies.
Aloysius Iyorgyer Katsina-Alu (2009- 2011)
From his very first day in workplace, there was controversy after he was sworn in by his predecessor. He was the primary CJN to be sworn in by his predecessor, Justice Idris Legbo Kutigi (rtd), as a result of unavailability of the then ailing President Umaru Yar’Adua, who didn’t hand over powers to then Vice President Goodluck Jonathan.
Yar’Adua by no means returned to the nation till his dying. Justice Katsina-Alu’s tenure because the CJN was additionally marked by his controversial battle with the then President of the Court docket of Enchantment, Justice Isa Ayo Salami (rtd), who the NJC later suspended.
Dahiru Musdapher (2011-2012)
His tenure as CJN was crisis-free; somewhat, he introduced some reforms that impacted positively on the judiciary. A few of his reforms are nonetheless being applied immediately. The Jigawa State-born Musdapher was appointed Chief Justice Nigeria on August 27, 2011, and sworn in by former President Goodluck Jonathan on August 29, 2011.
He served as Chief Decide of Kano State between 1979 and 1985.
Musdapher, a local of Babura city, served as a member of the Court docket of Enchantment between 1985 and 2003 and later joined the Supreme Court docket.
Throughout his tenure, he admitted that the judiciary wanted radical surgical reforms and referred to as on all Nigerian judges to rise above the daunting challenges by restoring hope and confidence within the judicial system.
MARIAM ALOMA MUKHTAR (2012 – 2014)
Justice Mukhtar might be described as a choose who got here, who noticed and, to an extent, reinvigorated the fervor to stamp out the burden of corruption that has, in no small measure, weighed down the dimensions of justice in Nigeria.
She spent barely 28 months in workplace. She took over from Justice Dahiru Musdapher on July 15, 2012.
Undisputedly, no administration within the judiciary ever tried to struggle corruption like Mukhtar, throughout whose quick regime about seven judges have been sacked.
Remarkably, no lady had attained that place since 1963, when the Federal Republic of Nigeria was proclaimed, and Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe grew to become its first President.
The state of affairs deteriorated to the extent that an ex-CJN and a sitting president of the Court docket of Enchantment publicly poked themselves over an alleged plan to subvert justice in a gubernatorial dispute involving Sokoto State.
Consequently, on July 11, 2012, whereas answering questions from the Nigerian Senate, Justice Mukhtar admitted the presence of dangerous eggs on the prime echelon of the judicial arm of presidency, at the same time as she vowed to struggle and expose such individuals earlier than her exit from workplace.
Just a few days after she assumed duties, Justice Mukhtar reviewed 337 petitions filed towards judicial officers earlier than the NJC.
Therefore, it was not stunning that seven justices have been sacked inside two years of her tenure.
MAHMUD MOHAMMED (2014 – 2016)
Justice Mohammed was additionally much less controversial in his about two years in workplace as CJN.
He was born on November 10, 1946, in Jalingo, Taraba State.
He studied for his Bachelor’s diploma in Regulation (LL.B) at Ahmadu Bello College, Zaria, graduating in 1970. After that, he attended the Nigerian Regulation College in Lagos and was subsequently referred to as to the Bar in 1971.
He started his profession within the public service with the Ministry of Justice of the defunct North-eastern and Gongola States and served on the Gongola Bench.
WALTER ONNOGHEN (2017 – 2019)
Justice Onnoghen started his tenure as CJN on a controversial word and ended it on the identical word. When he was appointed in appearing capability, it appeared that former President Muhammadu Buhari by no means wished him to turn out to be the substantive CJN because it took him a number of months to verify his appointment.
In actual fact, it was Professor Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), the previous vp who acted as president when Buhari was away on a medical journey, that confirmed Onnoghen’s appointment.
Halfway into his tenure as CJN, he was accused of corruption and faraway from workplace after he was requested to resign.
His resignation from workplace adopted the advice of the NJC for his early retirement. The advice was despatched to Buhari, who readily accepted it.
Justice Onnoghen confronted trial on the Code of Conduct Tribunal over allegations of false declaration of belongings.
The Financial and Monetary Crimes Fee (EFCC) additionally accused the previous CJN of receiving illicit funds and bribes from legal professionals. He denied all of the allegations.
Not a number of Nigerians learn political undertone in his tribulation, particularly because the 2019 common elections have been quick approaching.
IBRAHIM TANKO MUHAMMAD (2019 – 2022)
Like his predecessor, Justice Tanko Muhammad assumed workplace on a controversial word and in addition exited underneath questionable circumstances.
After Justice Onnoghen was eased out, many believed it was to arrange Justice Muhammad to turn out to be the CJN. Some believed the previous president tainted Onnoghen with a corruption tag to make method for Muhammad, additionally a northerner.
Like Onnoghen, he couldn’t end his tenure, however resulting from in poor health well being.
There was confusion within the media over his resignation. Nonetheless, after many weeks of denial and confusion, it was later confirmed that he resigned as CJN on well being grounds.
Shortly earlier than his resignation, he formally reacted to the allegations of uncaring angle levelled towards him by his fellow justices within the apex court docket.
In his first official response, he admitted that the Supreme Court docket, like every other institution within the nation, had been hit by a devastating financial crunch and the court docket’s management underneath him may not meet a few of its obligations to the justices, particularly in welfare.
OLUKAYODE ARIWOOLA (2022 -2024)
Justice Ariwoola took the oath of workplace because the appearing CJN on the Presidential Villa in Abuja on June 27, 2022.
He’s, arguably, one of many best CJNs the nation has produced along with his insurance policies and programmes for the judiciary. Nonetheless, like a few of his predecessors, his tenure is fraught with controversies, particularly because the judiciary underneath him got here to be seen as being within the pockets of the political class.
In actual fact, retiring Supreme Court docket justices in his tenure used their valedictory speeches to lampoon the judiciary underneath his watch and so many Nigerians have lamented that the current judiciary dispenses judgement somewhat than justice.
Whoever takes the mantle after Ariwoola can have a herculean activity repairing the battered picture of the judiciary with the intention to restore the arrogance of the folks in that arm of presidency.
