President Bola Tinubu has returned to Nigeria following a brief three-day work stay in France.
His return was marked by the landing of his Airbus A330 at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja at approximately 2:25 am on Friday, as reported by The PUNCH.
The president had initially departed Abuja for France on Monday, with the presidency describing the visit as a “brief work stay.”
Though the specifics of the visit were not disclosed, his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, confirmed, “The President will return to the country after his brief work stay in France.”
Tinubu cut short his trip to swear in Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun as the new Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) at the Council Chambers of the State House.
In a statement released Thursday, Ngelale conveyed the president’s gratitude to the outgoing CJN, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, and confirmed that Tinubu would preside over the swearing-in ceremony on August 23, 2024.
The National Judicial Council (NJC) had, on August 15, during its 106th meeting, recommended Kekere-Ekun to President Tinubu as the successor to Ariwoola.
The NJC announced, “The NJC, at its 106th meeting presided over by Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, who bows out today, recommended Justice Kekere-Ekun to President Bola Tinubu for appointment as the CJN.”
Kekere-Ekun, the most senior Justice of the Supreme Court, will be sworn in as acting CJN pending her confirmation by the Senate. At 66 years old, she is expected to serve until her retirement in 2028. Justice Ariwoola, who assumed office on June 27, 2022, stepped down upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 70.
