The National Judicial Council (NJC) has recommended Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for appointment as the next Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN). This follows the upcoming retirement of the current CJN, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, on August 22, 2024. If approved, Justice Kekere-Ekun would become the second female CJN after Justice Muktar Aloma.

The NJC’s decision comes amid ongoing controversy surrounding Justice Kekere-Ekun’s asset declaration forms. The Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), when questioned about a petition against her, declined to comment, with Veronica Kato, the officer in charge of press affairs, stating that details regarding any investigation cannot be disclosed.

The NJC also recommended 28 candidates for appointment as judges of various state courts and one candidate for the position of Kadi of the Sharia Court of the FCT, Abuja. These recommendations were made during the NJC’s 106th meeting on August 14 and 15, presided over by the outgoing CJN, Justice Ariwoola.

Among the recommendations are candidates for judicial appointments in Kwara, Rivers, Ondo, Benue, and Kaduna states. For instance, six candidates were recommended for appointment as judges of the High Court in Kwara State, and eight candidates were recommended for the High Court in Rivers State.

Meanwhile, Justice Kekere-Ekun faces a petition from the Oduduwa Descendants Coalition for Justice, alleging false declaration of assets. The petition, dated August 10, 2024, and signed by the group’s national coordinator, Comrade Kehinde Johnson Olawale, calls for a thorough investigation into the assets declared by Justice Kekere-Ekun throughout her career.

The petition claims that Justice Kekere-Ekun failed to submit her assets declaration forms at the end of her tenure as Chairman of The Robbery and Firearms Tribunal, Ikeja Zone II, Lagos, in 1999, and again at the end of her tenure as a Justice of the Court of Appeal in 2013. Additionally, the group alleges that the assets declaration form she submitted upon becoming a Justice of the Supreme Court contained false declarations.

The Oduduwa Descendants Coalition for Justice emphasized the importance of investigating these allegations to avoid potential embarrassment for the nation and to ensure that Justice Kekere-Ekun’s suitability for the position of CJN is thoroughly assessed by the NJC and the Senate.