A coalition of civil society groups has called on the Council of Legal Education to resist pressure from Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu’s legal team and press ahead with its investigation into allegations that he made false declarations to obtain his qualifying law certificate.
The Civil Society Groups for Good Governance (CSGGG), led by its President, Comrade Ogakwu Dominic, held a press conference on Wednesday, urging the Council to see the probe through to its “logical conclusion,” days after Kalu’s solicitors, Olaniwun Ajayi LP, wrote to the Nigeria Law School demanding the petition against him be dismissed as “fundamentally deficient in law.”
At the heart of the matter is a declaration Kalu then known as Benjamin Okezie Osisiogu, made upon admission into the Nigerian Law School on April 23, 2010, in which he stated he was not engaged in, and would not undertake, any employment or NYSC service during his studies. His NYSC discharge certificate, however, records his service year as running from March 9, 2010 to March 8, 2011, a period that overlaps almost entirely with his law school enrolment.
The petition, filed on March 16, 2026 by John Aikpokpo Martins, alleges perjury, false representation, and inconsistency between official documents.
Kalu’s solicitors are pushing back on three grounds that the petition relies on an unsworn declaration, that no criminal conduct has been established, and that no law prohibits simultaneous participation in the NYSC and law school programmes.
More significantly, they argue that the Council lacks express statutory authority to withdraw or cancel a qualifying certificate once issued, warning that doing so would amount to a penal measure requiring strict compliance with sections 36(8) and 36(12) of the 1999 Constitution.
The CSGGG acknowledged Kalu’s right to mount a legal defence but expressed concern that his response was focused more on challenging the Council’s jurisdiction than on addressing the substance of the allegations.
The group insisted the Council retains sufficient powers under the Legal Education (Consolidation, etc.) Act to investigate claims of false representation in the procurement of qualifying certificates, and warned that technical objections must not be allowed to derail a process already legitimately set in motion.
Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, the coalition raised alarm over reports that Kalu may seek a court injunction to halt the investigation entirely, describing such a move as an attempt to use the judiciary to frustrate a statutory process.
They called on President Bola Tinubu to publicly reaffirm that no public official, regardless of office, is above institutional scrutiny.
The Council constituted its investigative panel on April 17, 2026, and on April 21 directed Kalu to submit a written response within seven days. Its Secretary and Director of Administration, Ms. Aderonke O. Osho, confirmed that a letter was sent to Kalu but declined to say whether a response had been received before the deadline, adding that the matter would be handled privately.
Kalu, who was called to the Nigerian Bar in September 2011 and enrolled as a legal practitioner of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, has consistently denied any wrongdoing and maintains that no competent legal authority has ever invalidated his qualification or professional status.