Kalu Certificate Row: Coalition Urges Legal Council To Press Ahead With Investigation

A coalition under the banner of Civil Society Groups for Good Governance (CSGGG) has urged the Council of Legal Education to resist mounting pressure and proceed with its investigation into the law school qualifying certificate of the deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu.

The group’s position followed a request by Kalu’s solicitors to the Nigeria Law School to dishonour a petition seeking the withdrawal of the certificate qualifying him as a lawyer.

Addressing a press conference yesterday, the coalition’s president, Comrade Ogakwu Dominic, commended the council for constituting the investigative panel and taking the petition seriously. He, however, cautioned against any attempt to derail the process.

“The council must remain resolute and ensure that this investigation is carried through to its logical conclusion,” Dominic said, while calling on the committee to stay focused despite the legal objections raised by the deputy speaker’s legal team.

The Council had, at its sitting on April 17, 2026, set up the committee to probe the matter, and followed up with a letter dated April 21, 2026, directing Kalu to submit a written response within seven days to aid the inquiry.

At the heart of the controversy are allegations of perjury, false representation, and inconsistencies between Kalu’s National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificate and his Nigerian Law School records.

Documents cited in the petition filed on March 16, 2026, by John Aikpokpo Martins indicate that on April 23, 2010, Kalu, then known as Benjamin Okezie Osisiogu, declared upon admission into the Nigerian Law School that he was not, and would not be, engaged in employment or NYSC service during his studies.

However, his NYSC discharge certificate shows his service year ran from March 9, 2010, to March 8, 2011—almost entirely overlapping with his law school enrolment.

In response, Kalu’s solicitors, Olaniwun Ajayi LP, in a letter dated April 28, 2026, described the petition as “fundamentally deficient in law” and urged the Council to dismiss it. The legal team cited three grounds: “the absence of any vitiating criminal conduct, the petitioner’s reliance on an unsworn declaration, and the absence of any legal prohibition on simultaneous participation in the NYSC and Nigerian Law School programmes.”

They further argued that the Council lacks express statutory authority to withdraw or cancel a qualifying certificate once issued, warning that such action would amount to a penal measure requiring strict adherence to constitutional safeguards under sections 36(8) and 36(12) of the 1999 Constitution.

While acknowledging Kalu’s right to defend himself, the coalition maintained that the Council retains sufficient powers under the Legal Education (Consolidation, etc.) Act to investigate allegations of false representation in the procurement of qualifying certificates.

The group expressed concern that the Deputy Speaker’s response appeared to focus more on challenging the Council’s jurisdiction than addressing the substance of the allegations.

“It is important that technical arguments do not derail a process that has already been legitimately set in motion,” the group said, urging the committee to proceed with its mandate.

The CSGGG also raised alarm over reports that Kalu may seek a court injunction to halt the investigation, describing such a move as an attempt to deploy the judiciary to frustrate a statutory process.

In a broader appeal, the coalition called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to publicly reaffirm that no public official, regardless of office, is above institutional scrutiny.

The Council of Legal Education has declined public comment on the matter. Its Secretary and Director of Administration, Ms. Aderonke O. Osho, confirmed that a letter was sent to Kalu but said the probe would be handled privately.

She also declined to state whether a response had been received before the expiration of the deadline.

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. He maintains that no competent legal authority has at any time invalidated his qualification or professional status.