A surprising turn of events unfolded in the Nigerian Senate on Tuesday as a female nominee for the Nigerian Law Reform Commission (NLRC), Professor Fatima Alkali, rejected her appointment as a Commissioner by President Bola Tinubu.
This announcement came during a plenary session where the Senate proceeded to confirm the nominations of the other two individuals put forward for the commission.
President Tinubu had nominated Dakas Dakas as Chairman of the NLRC, alongside Uchenna Okolocha and Fatima Alkali as Commissioners, with these nominations initially made in June 2025.
During the presentation of the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters’ report, Senator Adeniyi Adegbonmire, the committee’s chairman, informed lawmakers that Professor Alkali, nominated to represent the North-East zone, had communicated her decision to decline the offer to the Presidency.
Senator Adegbonmire explained that the legislative committee had reviewed the nominees’ credentials and invited them for a screening exercise.
“On Wednesday, June 25, 2025, two of the nominees appeared before the committee. The third one, Professor Fatima Alkali, turned down the appointment,” he stated.
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In light of Professor Alkali’s rejection, the committee recommended that she be replaced with another female nominee from the North-East region to ensure “gender fairness” within the commission.
Meanwhile, the committee chairman affirmed that the remaining two nominees, Dakas Dakas, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) representing the North-Central, and Uchenna Okolocha from the South-South were found to be “fit and proper persons to assume the positions.”
Senator Adegbonmire highlighted that both confirmed nominees possess the necessary qualifications, leadership qualities, and comportment to effectively carry out the statutory duties of their respective offices.
He added that the committee was satisfied with their qualifications, experience, suitability, competence, and integrity. Furthermore, no petitions or adverse reports were received against either Dakas or Okolocha.
, Professor Fatima Alkali, rejected her appointment as a Commissioner by President Bola Tinubu.){kind=link}