President Bola Tinubu has returned to Nigeria following a three-day work stay in France. The President’s Airbus A330 landed at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, around 2:25 am on Friday, according to reports from The Punch.
Tinubu cut short his trip to oversee the swearing-in of Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun as the new Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) at the State House Council Chambers. The President had left Abuja for France on Monday for what the presidency described as a “brief work stay,” without revealing specific details about the visit’s purpose.
In a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, the presidency announced Tinubu’s return and expressed the President’s appreciation for the service of the outgoing CJN, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola. Tinubu is scheduled to administer the oath of office to Justice Kekere-Ekun at 11 am on Friday.
The National Judicial Council (NJC) had recommended Kekere-Ekun’s appointment on August 15 after its 106th meeting, chaired by the outgoing CJN Ariwoola. Kekere-Ekun, currently the most senior Justice of the Supreme Court, will initially serve as acting CJN pending her confirmation by the Senate.
Justice Kekere-Ekun, aged 66, will succeed Ariwoola, who retired on Thursday upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 70. Ariwoola had assumed the position of CJN in June 2022, following an illustrious judicial career, including his tenure as a Justice of the Court of Appeal and his elevation to the Supreme Court in 2011.
In his farewell message to Ariwoola, President Tinubu praised his over 30 years of service, highlighting his significant contributions to the judiciary and the nation.
Justice Kekere-Ekun, who will serve until her retirement in 2028, will now take up the mantle as the head of Nigeria's judiciary at a pivotal time for the nation's legal system.
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