A prominent human rights lawyer and former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, Chidi Anselm Odinkalu, has corrected factual errors in the Statehouse announcement of Dr Olugbemisola Titilayo Odusote’s appointment as the first female Director-General of the Nigerian Law School.

Odinkalu, who was admitted to the Nigerian Bar in the same 1988 set as Odusote, made the clarification on X (formerly Twitter) while responding to a post by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.

“Dr Gbemi graduated with a degree in law from OAU Ife in 1987 and was in my Law School set admitted in 1988. She is not one of those to amend her age. You made an error in saying she is 54. That is factually inaccurate,” Odinkalu wrote.

He stressed that Odusote’s academic and professional timeline clearly contradicts the earlier age stated in some reports, noting that based on her graduation year and Bar admission, she would be in her late 50s as of 2026.

The clarification followed a Statehouse press release announcing President Bola Tinubu’s approval of Odusote’s appointment, effective January 10, 2026, for a four-year term. The statement described her as 57 and highlighted her academic credentials, including an LL.B and LL.M from Obafemi Awolowo University and a PhD in Law from the University of Surrey, United Kingdom, as well as her long service at the Nigerian Law School since joining the institution in 2001.

Odinkalu’s intervention has since sparked public discussion about the vetting process behind high-level appointments, with some observers questioning whether Odusote’s full curriculum vitae was reviewed before the announcement or whether incorrect secondary information was relied upon.

A legal practitioner familiar with the development noted that accuracy is critical, particularly in appointments involving institutions responsible for legal education and professional standards.

Dr Odusote’s appointment remains historic, as she becomes the first woman to head the Nigerian Law School since its establishment in 1962. As Director-General, she will oversee the institution’s academic leadership, administrative management, and strategic direction across all campuses, while serving as a key liaison with the Council of Legal Education, the Body of Benchers, and the Nigerian Bar Association.

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