• Super Admin
• 06 Mar, 2026

ABUJA, Nigeria -- A coalition of civil society organisations, led by the Civil Society Groups of Good Governance (CSGGG), has demanded the immediate resignation of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, over allegations of perjury and false representation. Addressing a world press conference on Friday, March 6, 2026, the coalition's president, Chief Dominic Ogakwu, issued a 72-hour ultimatum for the Deputy Speaker to step aside pending a thorough investigation into conflicting records regarding his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and Nigerian Law School attendance. The "Statutorily Impossible" Timeline The coalition alleges that Kalu participated in the mandatory one-year NYSC program while simultaneously enrolled as a full-time student at the Nigerian Law School between 2010 and 2011. According to the group, official records indicate: "It is statutorily impossible for him to engage in the NYSC and partake in full-time academic training at the Law School at the same time," Ogakwu stated, noting that Law School policy strictly prohibits students from serving as corps members during their studies. Key Demands for Accountability The coalition has laid out four primary "prayers" for the relevant authorities: Kalu Rejects Calls to Step Down In a swift response, the Deputy Speaker rejected the calls to resign, urging "due process" in the matter. While Kalu did not directly address the specific timeline discrepancies during his initial response, his office has previously indicated a willingness to cooperate with any competent authority requesting documentation. Other groups, such as the Youth Renaissance for Good Governance (YRGG), have dismissed the allegations as "politically motivated," citing a purported 2023 NYSC verification exercise that they claim cleared the Deputy Speaker of any wrongdoing. Legal Implications: The NYSC Act and the "Statutorily Impossible" Defense The core of the allegations against Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu rests on the strict statutory requirements of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Act. Legal experts and civil society groups point to several specific provisions that make the alleged dual participation a significant legal liability. Under Section 2(3) of the NYSC Act, every eligible Nigerian is required to serve for a "continuous period of one year". The NYSC management has historically interpreted this as an uninterrupted commitment, ruling in 2016 that simultaneously attending Law School while serving is "illegal and unacceptable". The NYSC Act and Nigerian criminal codes carry stiff penalties for individuals who provide false information to obtain certificates: The coalition's demand for Kalu to step aside mirrors previous high-profile certificate scandals in Nigeria: As the 72-hour ultimatum progresses, the focus shifts to whether the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) will formalize the petition against the Deputy Speaker. Source: https://247ureports.com/2026/03/perjury-allegations-civil-society-coalition-issues-72-hour-ultimatum-to-deputy-speaker-kalu/