The Council of Legal Education has queried the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Okezie Kalu, over a petition seeking the withdrawal and cancellation of his law school certificate.

A coalition of civil society organisations, led by the Civil Society Groups of Good Governance (CSGGG), had demanded investigation into Kalu’s National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) certificates over alleged inconsistencies in the dates on the certificates.

The council, in a letter dated April 21, 2026 and signed by the Secretary to the Council and Director of Administration, Ms. Aderonke O. Osho, gave Kalu seven days to “submit a written response to the petition” to enable its committee probing the matter carry out its assignment.

The council also informed Kalu that it “may also require your personal appearance at any stage of its work, if deemed necessary.”

Osho did not respond to repeated calls by THE WHISTLER seeking confirmation on whether Kalu has complied with the seven-day deadline to submit a written response to the petition.

In March, CSGGG held a press briefing in Abuja where it asked Kalu to step aside pending investigations into alleged perjury, false representation, and contradictions between his NYSC discharge certificate and Nigerian Bar certificate.

The coalition questioned how Kalu, who was admitted to the Nigerian Law School under the name Benjamin Okezie Osisiogu, could have obtained his NYSC and Call to Bar certificates within one year.

Under Law School rules, students are required to declare they are not engaged in employment or participating in the NYSC during their course of study.

The group said this meant “either he (Kalu) did not participate fully in the NYSC Service Year, or he never attended the Nigerian Law School to qualify him to be enrolled into the Bar.”