I Just stumbled on this a moment ago that Kudirat Olatokunbo Kekere-Ekun (Lagos) is poised to become the next CJN in August 2024, God-Willing, on the retirement of Justice Olukayode Ariwoola (Oyo), after 26 months as CJN. Justice Kekere-Ekun will have the privilege of 45 months in office until May 2028. Next in line to her is Justice Inyang Okoro (Akwa Ibom), who could be CJN for 14 months from May 2028 to July 2029.

For the first time since 1987, Nigeria will have southern CJN for 7 years from June 2022 to July 2029. Since the first Northern CJN, Mohammed Bello (Katsina) ascended in 1987, the North had a chokehold on CJN position for the next 30 years till 2017 spanning 8 CJNs (Bello, Uwais, Belgore, Kutigi, Katsina-Alu, Musdapher, Mukhtar,Mohammed), until Walter Onnoghen broke the monotony for 22 months (March 2017 to Jan 2019). In fact, the North tried in vain to prevent Justice Onnoghen (C-Rivers) from beoming the CJN, because some thought in ignorance that the CJN position was a Northern preserve.

How did the CJN position become the birthright of the North, with successive Northern CJNs presiding over Southern SJs who were senior to them at the bar. With a huge pool of experienced judges in the southern sector, Southern Judges get promoted to the Appeal and Supreme courts at significantly older ages, so most reach retirement age before their turn to become CJN. In contrast, Northern judges arrived at the appeal and supreme courts with significantly less experience, and gets to spend longer time at the SC, to have seniority over Southern judges who arrive later.

How did they manage to get Ariwoola, Kekere-Ekun and Okoro to have the opportunity to become CJN in succession? The process of nominating SC judges have to be reformed. There is a reform on the table that include nominations of senior lawyers to the SC. Whatever is done must ensure that our bests in law are those in SC and becoming CJN

And the big elephant in the room is there has never been an Igbo CJN. Yorubas and Igbos own the legal profession in Nigeria, so it is VERY ODD that Nigeria has NEVER had an Igbo CJN. Yorubas had a head start in law without any question, and they produced the first 4 indigeneous CJN (Adetokunbo Ademola, Taslim Elias, Fatai Williams and George Showemimo) from 1958 to 1985. Sir Darnley Alexander was CJN from 1975-79. Alexander was hired from the Caribbean by the Western Region as a Legal Draftman in 1957, and arguably counts as a glorified Yoruba. In 1985 the CJN moved from SW to Delta, Justice Ayo Irikefe (1985-87). Just about the time the CJN position was to start circulating to other Nigerians, which could have included a significant

# of Igbo CJNs, was when the North decided to capture the CJN position permanently.


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