The Igbo Mandate Movement Group has strongly condemned a petition filed against the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, describing it as frivolous, mischievous and politically motivated.
In a press statement dated February 21, 2026, and signed by its National Coordinator, Igboeli Arinze Napoleon, the group faulted a petition reportedly written by John Aikpokpo-Martins, a former First Vice President of the Nigerian Bar Association, to the Legal Practitioners’ Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
The petition allegedly requested a review of records relating to Kalu’s attendance at the Nigerian Law School and his participation in the NYSC scheme.
The Igbo Mandate Movement Group maintained that Kalu graduated from the University of Calabar in 1998 and faced delays in gaining admission into the Nigerian Law School due to backlog challenges at the time.
According to the statement, while awaiting admission, Kalu pursued further academic qualifications abroad before eventually securing placement at the Nigerian Law School’s Enugu Campus in Agbani.
The group explained that during the same period in 2010, Kalu was mobilised for national service and posted to Enugu North Local Government Area. It stated that his place of primary assignment and the Law School campus were approximately 30 minutes apart, enabling him to attend to both responsibilities.
They further claimed that Kalu met all NYSC clearance requirements and satisfied the Law School’s minimum 70 percent attendance threshold required to sit for the Final Bar Examinations. The statement also noted that he was among a select group of students who served on the research team of then Director-General of the Nigerian Law School, Professor Ernest Ojukwu.
The group challenged the petitioner to provide evidence that Kalu failed to meet academic or service requirements, arguing that both the Nigerian Law School and the NYSC certified him after due process.
It added that professional certifications obtained during NYSC service are not prohibited, noting that corps members often pursue additional qualifications during their service year.
The statement further argued that any rules cited against Kalu could not be retroactively applied to his case.
The Igbo Mandate Movement Group also described the petition as part of a broader pattern of what it termed politically motivated attacks against the Deputy Speaker. It referenced past allegations questioning his academic qualifications and NYSC status, which it said were previously addressed by relevant authorities.
Beyond defending Kalu, the group called for reforms to address systemic delays in Law School admissions, noting that many law graduates face prolonged waiting periods before enrolment.
It urged the LPDC and the NYSC to dismiss the petition and called on Nigerians, particularly those from the South-East, to support the Deputy Speaker.
