Oyebanji appoints Lekan Ogunmoye as Ekiti acting chief judge

Biodun Oyebanji, the governor of Ekiti, has appointed Lekan Ogunmoye as the acting chief judge of the state.

In a statement on Tuesday, Yinka Oyebode, special adviser to the governor on media, said Ogunmoye replaces the former chief judge, John Adeyeye, who passed on Monday.

“This is in furtherance of the powers conferred on the governor by section 271(4) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended),” the statement reads.

“The appointment of Hon. Justice Ogunmoye takes effect from November 5, 2024.

“Governor Oyebanji wishes the new acting chief judge a successful tenure.”

Born on November 6, 1963, Ogunmoye was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1987 and appointed a judge on April 1, 2010.

The late former Ekiti chief judge was 64 and was said to have been sick since July 12, 2023.

The illness followed severe injuries he sustained when a section of the state high court complex collapsed on him.

However, Olanike Adegoke, chief registrar of the Ekiti state judiciary, said in a statement that Adeyeye passed on after a “brief illness”.

Adegoke described Adeyeye as “a respectful jurist” who dedicated his life to upholding the principles of fairness, equity, and justice.