Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun has been sworn in as the 23rd Chief Justice of Nigeria by President Bola Tinubu. The ceremony was held at the State House in Abuja.

Kekere-Ekun will serve in an acting capacity until she is confirmed by the Senate. She took her oaths around 11:38 am and is the second female Justice to hold this position.

However, the Acting CJN was embroiled in a dispute during the Imo governorship election, which led to her being denied a visa to the United States. Kekere-Ekun read the Supreme Court judgment in the disputed Imo governorship election on January 14, 2020.

This information was contained in a letter dated February 15, 2023, issued by the Foreign Service of the United States of America (USA). The US authorities noted that Kekere-Ekun was denied a visa based on 'sanctioned activities'.

The letter states, "The office regrets to inform you that it is unable to issue a visa to you as you have been found ineligible to receive a visa under the following section(s) of the Immigration and Nationality Act."

It is important to recall that a seven-man panel of the Supreme Court, led by former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Ibrahim Muhammad Tanko, nullified the governorship election of Emeka Ihedioha of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and declared Hope Uzodinma of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the rightful winner of the exercise.

The court also ordered INEC to withdraw the certificate of return issued to Ihedioha and issue a fresh one to Uzodinma, who was then sworn in as the sixth governor of Imo State on January 15, 2020.

In the rejection letter to Justice Kekere-Ekun, signed by Jay M. Sorensen, an American Consular officer at Abuja, the US authorities stated that she was denied a visa based on "sanctioned activities".