If a picture is worth a thousand words, President Bola Tinubu could write books with the photographs he took last Friday.
How else can we explain the slight drama that unfolded when he swore in the new Chief Justice that afternoon?
You see, photos are the essence of life! Without them, we wouldn’t have evidence of Aisha Buhari frying akara or Rotimi Amaechi braiding a woman’s hair.
We would never have known that Babajide Sanwo-Olu worked in a salon, Atiku Abubakar ate rice with schoolchildren, or that President Tinubu sipped zobo from the same cup as a child, using different straws.
The world wouldn’t even remember that Morgan Freeman was once young since he’s been grey-headed for as long as we can recall.
And we wouldn’t have records of getting married, graduating from school, travelling the world, meeting people, or being sworn into office. Precious moments in time would be lost.
So, it was understandable when the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, took matters into their own hands when it appeared they would miss the photo lineup with the President.
It was almost 1:00 pm on Friday, and Nigeria’s 23rd Chief Justice had just taken the oath of office at the Council Chamber of the Aso Rock Villa.
Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, from Lagos State, became the second woman sworn into office by President Tinubu in two consecutive weeks.
Remember Walson-Jack from my column last week? Yes, her.
Perhaps to avoid the president asking about Kekere-Ekun, as he did with Mrs Didi Walson-Jack, State House protocol had positioned her where officials typically sat before being sworn in.
After her citation was read, the new Chief Justice recited her oaths of office and allegiance, signed the oath register, and shook hands with the President.
Tinubu initially let go of her hand after thinking the handshake was captured, but when his photographer signalled otherwise, he re-engaged the handshake and posed for the camera.
He then motioned for her family members to come up for photos, beckoning them to approach from his left.
After the family pictures, the President had what seemed like a heartwarming reunion with some older members of the Lagos-based family, who appeared to be longtime acquaintances.
He could be seen affectionately hugging and asking after some names.
They posed for another photo, but this time, Governor Sanwo-Olu rushed upstage and inserted himself into the frame, causing laughter among the audience.
Meanwhile, the retiring Chief Justice, Olukayode Ariwoola, waited his turn, watching from his seat like a patient lion.
Typically, these photo sessions involved the President, along with the outgoing and incoming officials.
This time, however, family came first. Not wanting to miss out, the Senate President took Sanwo-Olu’s cue and rushed up to join the show, sparking another round of laughter in the hall.
Afterwards, the acting Chief Justice walked to take her new seat as her predecessor made room for her.
On 1 September, her South African counterpart, Mandisa Maya, will take office as the first female Chief Justice of the country.
But she did not sit for long. She soon joined another general photo with the President and members of the judicial community who witnessed the ceremony.
Afterwards, she spoke to the press outside the Chamber. And this is where it gets interesting.
In June 2023, after being decorated by the Vice President, the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, told reporters that he felt like a tiger ready to chase away all the criminals in Nigeria.
“I will tell you that, right now, I feel like a tiger inside of me, ready to chase away all the criminals in Nigeria. And at other times, I feel like a lion in me ready to devour all the internal enemies of Nigeria,” he told reporters, some of whom raised eyebrows, wondering how long his fresh energy would last.
With a surname transliterated to ‘small tiger’, one might have expected the new acting Chief Justice, Kekere-Ekun, to roar a similar riot act.
But remember, it says ‘small tiger’; instead, she began her tenure with a pledge to build a judiciary that all Nigerians can be proud of.
She said, “We will make sure that people have more confidence in the judiciary, and I believe that it is not a one-man job. We all have to be on board because we all see the areas that are in need of improvement. I believe that there will be maximum cooperation because we all want to see a better judiciary.
“A better judiciary is for the benefit of the entire nation. Whatever the shortcomings that we see today, we are all members of society. So, if we want to see a better society, if we want to see improvement, let the improvement start with each and every one of us and our approach to justice. Let us all have faith in the system and be particular about the process of appointment; I know it is a source of a lot of concern, the issue of discipline on the bench and at the bar as well.
“All of these things are aspects that we will look into. And I believe that by the grace of God, at the end of my tenure, we should be able to have a judiciary that we will all be proud of.”
This is the moment where Nigerians collectively go, “Aww.” We wish her all the best in her new role.
