Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has expressed confidence that the new Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat KekereEkun, will not see the judiciary as just an arm of government but as a gatekeeper of justice, protector of the rights of the citizens, and defender of the constitution.

The governor said the tenure of Justice KekereEkun as the Chief Justice of Nigeria will be marked by the sharp intellect, depth of insight, and unwavering commitment to the spirit of the law for which she built a lifelong reputation, noting that her ascension to the highest judicial office in Nigeria speaks powerfully to the boundless potential of women and to the fact that excellence in leadership knows no gender.

Sanwo-Olu spoke on Saturday night during a Special Dinner held in honour of Justice Kekere-Ekun, the second female Chief Justice of Nigeria, at Lagos House, Marina.

The dinner was attended by Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun; First Lady of Lagos State, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu; Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat; for mer Lagos State Governor and Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola; Justice Kekere-Ekun’s husband, Mr. Akin Kekere-Ekun; Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Prince Lateef Fagbemi; Justices of Supreme Court; Judges from Court of Appeal and federal and state high courts; legal practitioners; traditional and political leaders, among others.

Speaking during the event, Sanwo-Olu said the dinner, where two Lagosians, Justice Habeeb Abiru of the Supreme Court and Justice Lawal Akapo of the Court of Appeal, were also celebrated for their recent elevation, is a celebration of the place of Lagos in the development of jurisprudence in Nigeria, noting that Lagos has produced many of the finest legal minds Nigeria has seen on the Bar and the Bench.