Lawyers Urge Dismissal of Petition Against Kalu's Certificate

Lawyers representing Benjamin Kalu, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, have called on the Council of Legal Education to dismiss a petition filed by John Martin on March 16, 2026, which sought to cancel Kalu's law certificate. The petition claimed that Kalu's attendance at the Nigerian Law School overlapped with his participation in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

However, the legal team, led by Chukwuebuka S. Okek from Olaniwun Ajayi LP, argued that the Council has no statutory provision to withdraw or cancel a law qualification unless there is clear evidence of criminal misconduct, which the petition does not establish.

They emphasized that the petition relies on unsworn declarations and lacks legal merit, as there are no regulations prohibiting concurrent participation in the NYSC and Nigerian Law School. The lawyers urged the Council to reject the petition, citing a lack of legal foundation and referencing a similar complaint that had previously been dismissed by the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee.