Kayode Eso

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

Chief Kayode Eso CON CFR
Born	Samuel Obakayode Eso (1925-09-18)18 September 1925 Ilesa, Nigeria Protectorate
Nationality	Nigerian
Citizenship	Nigerian
Occupations	lawyer solicitor judge
Years active	1953 - 2012
Notable work	Awolowo v. Shagari case
Spouses	Helen Aina Eso
Parent(s)	Emmanuel Dada Eso Rebecca Omotola Eso
Awards	CON CFR

Early life

Samuel Obakayode Eso was born on 18 September 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 Lincoln's Inn 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 11 August 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 (deceased, Feb. 2021) and Olumide Eso.^[16]

Chief Eso died on 16 November 2012 at the age of 87.

Memberships

• Member, Nigerian Bar Association
• Member, International Bar Association
• Member, Nigerian Body of Benchers

References

1. . 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. . thisdaylive.com. Archived from the original on 20 June 2015. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
4. . 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. . 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. . 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.
16. Ajayi, J. F. Ade; Akinseye-George, Yemi (15 June 2002). Kayode Eso. ISBN 9789780294526. Retrieved 28 May 2023.