Kayode Eso

Chief Samuel Obakayode "Kayode" Eso, CON, CFR (born September 18, 1925 - November 16, 2012) was a prominent Nigerian jurist. He served as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.[1][2][3]

Kayode Eso
Born
Samuel Obakayode Eso

(1925-09-18)18 September 1925
Ilesa, Nigeria Protectorate
NationalityNigerian
CitizenshipNigerian
Occupation
  • lawyer
  • solicitor
  • judge
Years active1953 - 2012
Notable work
Awolowo v. Shagari case
Spouse(s)Helen Aina Eso
Parent(s)Emmanuel Dada Eso
Rebecca Omotola Eso
Awards
CON
CFR

Early life

Samuel Obakayode Eso was born on September 18, 1925 at Ilesa, a city in what was then the Nigeria Protectorate.[4] Both of his parents, Emmanuel Dada and Rebecca Omotola Eso, belonged to prominent chieftaincy families amongst the Ijeshas. Emmanuel's father, Chief Ifaturoti, held the Eso chieftaincy title, and it was from this title that their family's surname was derived.[5]

He attended local schools in Nigeria before going on to Trinity College, Dublin, where he obtained bachelor's and master's degrees in Law with a specialization in Legal science in 1953 and 1956 respectively.[6] He then went on to train at the Inns of Court in London, where he was subsequently called to the bar.

Law career

In March 1965, he became the acting Judge of the High Court of Western Nigeria and a few years later, he was appointed to the bench of the Court of Appeal of Western Nigeria as a Justice.[7] In January 1978, he was appointed Chief Judge of the Oyo State Judiciary, a position he held until September 1990, when he was appointed to the bench of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.[8] Professor Yemi Akinseye George, SAN and Professor J. F. Ade Ajayi's book, titled The Making of A Judge, narrates the chronological episodes in the contemporary history of Kayode Eso's judicial activism.[9][10][11][12]

He is one of the members of the 8-man panel of judges at the Supreme Court of Nigeria that presided over the Awolowo v. Shagari case, in which Chief Obafemi Awolowo's petition challenged the declaration of Alhaji Shehu Shagari as the president-elect of the country after the August 11, 1979 presidential election.[13][14] The court ruled that " Sheu Shagari won two-thirds of the total votes cast, having polled a total tally of 16.8 million with 11.9 million votes ahead of Obafemi Awolowo who polled a total tally of 4.9 million.[15]

Personal life

Chief Eso married Helen Aina (née Agidee) of Akungbene in 1954. They would go on to have two children together, Funmilayo Eso Williams and Olumide Eso.

Chief Eso died on November 16, 2012. At the time of his death, he was 87.

Memberships

References
  1. "Glowing Tributes as Justice Kayode Eso Dies at 87, Articles - THISDAY LIVE". thisdaylive.com. Archived from the original on 20 June 2015. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
  2. Jide Osuntokun. "Justice Kayode Eso: A tribute". The Nation. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
  3. "Kayode Eso: His Passion Was Justice!, Articles - THISDAY LIVE". thisdaylive.com. Archived from the original on 20 June 2015. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
  4. "An Epitaph for Justice Kayode Eso, Articles - THISDAY LIVE". thisdaylive.com. Archived from the original on 20 June 2015. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
  5. J.F. Ade.Ajayi and Yemi Akinseye-George, "Kayode Eso: The Making of a Judge", p 1.
  6. "Eminent jurist, Justice Kayode Eso, dies at 87". The Punch - Nigeria's Most Widely Read Newspaper. Archived from the original on 20 June 2015. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
  7. "Eminent Jurist Kayode Eso Is Dead". Sahara Reporters. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
  8. "Justice Kayode Eso's death shocks family - Vanguard News". Vanguard News. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
  9. "Justice Kayode Eso Dies". African Spotlight. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
  10. Onazi, Oche (26 November 2013). African Legal Theory and Contemporary Problems. ISBN 9789400775374. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
  11. Robert, Dana L. (2 January 2008). Converting Colonialism. ISBN 9780802817631. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
  12. Ajayi, J. F. Ade; Akinseye-George, Yemi (15 June 2002). Kayode Eso. ISBN 9789780294526. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
  13. "Awolowo vs. Shagari: The Day The Law Died In Nigeria By Seyi Olu Awofeso". Sahara Reporters. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
  14. Falola, Toyin; Oyeniyi, Bukola A. (24 February 2015). Nigeria. ISBN 9781598849691. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
  15. "THE DOCTRINE OF SUBSTANTIAL COMPLIANCE: A doctrine of substantial folly". Vanguard News. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
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