According to a report by Vanguard on March 6, 2026, A coalition of civil society organisations has given the Deputy Speaker of Nigeria’s House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, a 72-hour ultimatum to temporarily vacate his position while authorities investigate allegations of perjury, false representation, and discrepancies involving his National Youth Service Corps certificate and Nigerian Bar credentials.
The coalition, led by the Civil Society Groups of Good Governance, issued the demand during a press conference in Abuja on Friday. During the briefing, the organisations questioned the legality and constitutional propriety of Kalu remaining in the second-highest position in the lower chamber of the National Assembly while the allegations remain unresolved.
The groups warned that if relevant institutions—including the National Youth Service Corps, Nigerian Law School, Council of Legal Education, and the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee—do not take action within the stipulated period, they would organise a protest at the National Assembly complex.
Speaking to journalists, the coalition’s spokesperson and president of the group, Dominic Ogakwu, explained that their demand is grounded in the principle that public officials must be subject to the same level of accountability as every other citizen.
Ogakwu stressed that the coalition is not politically motivated but is concerned about what it described as the prolonged silence of key institutions over the matter. According to him, the situation should trouble citizens who value transparency and accountability in public office.
He clarified that the coalition is not directly accusing Kalu of a crime at this stage but is seeking clarification regarding how he could have taken separate oaths linked to the NYSC programme and the Nigerian Law School while allegedly carrying out activities that might conflict with the requirements of both institutions.
The coalition further claimed that Kalu was admitted into the Nigerian Law School under the name Benjamin Okezie Osisiogu before later adopting different names. It said that on April 23, 2010, he reportedly declared that he would neither take up employment nor participate in the NYSC during his legal studies.
However, the group questioned how he later obtained an NYSC discharge certificate dated March 8, 2011, suggesting that the period overlapped with his time at the Nigerian Law School.
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