The newly sworn-in Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, was allegedly denied entry to the United States due to her involvement in a controversial 2020 judgment that declared APC’s Hope Uzodimma as the governor of Imo State, according to Peoples Gazette.
Daily Query reports that Justice Kekere-Ekun, 66, became the second female Chief Justice of Nigeria, after the Justice Mariam Muctar Aloma who served as CJN from July 2012 to November 2014, following her swearing-in yesterday (Friday, August 23) by President Bola Tinubu, to succeed Justice Kayode Ariwoola, who reached the mandatory retirement age of 70 on Thursday.
According to Peoples Gazette, the U.S. government rejected the visa application of Mrs. Kekere-Ekun, who was part of the panel of justices that removed PDP’s Emeka Ihedioha as Governor of Imo State and declared Mr. Uzodimma the winner of the hotly-contested election.
“Apart from the recent cases, there is another one where number four became number one. The Justices that gave that judgment cannot go to the United States today because they have been denied visas,” Mr. Duke said at a memoir launch in February 2023.
The former governor emphasized that the jurists, who intended to visit the U.S. for a legal conference, were barred from entry while their accompanying aides were granted visas.
“They want to go on a retreat. Their aides were given visas but they were not given. How much disgrace can we take as a nation before we say enough is enough?” Mr. Duke agonized.
