By Mercy Gadia
A coalition of civil society organisations under the aegis of the Save Nigeria Movement and the Freelance Journalists Federation has called on the Department of State Services and the Nigeria Police Force to identify and prosecute individuals allegedly spreading false information against the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu.
The groups made the call on Sunday during a press conference in Abuja, where they described recent allegations concerning the Deputy Speaker’s National Youth Service Corps and Law School records as baseless and politically motivated.
Speaking through their conveners, Solomon Semeka and Ibrahim Akawe Joseph, the coalition alleged that certain groups operating under the guise of activism had been circulating unverified claims aimed at damaging Kalu’s reputation.
They specifically dismissed claims that the Deputy Speaker unlawfully combined his National Youth Service Corps programme with his Law School training, describing the allegation as a recycled falsehood.
The coalition said a petition previously filed on the issue had already been reviewed and dismissed by the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee for lacking merit.
“We wish to remind the public that a petition on this same matter was submitted to the LPDC, and after a thorough review, it was dismissed for lacking merit, effectively putting the matter to rest,” the groups said.
They added that their organisations independently conducted inquiries into the allegations and found no evidence to support the claims.
According to them, their findings showed that Kalu complied with all statutory requirements of the Nigerian legal profession and the National Youth Service Corps scheme.
The coalition further alleged that the campaign against the Deputy Speaker was politically motivated and linked to political calculations ahead of the 2027 governorship election in Abia State.
“It has become increasingly clear that this campaign of calumny is driven by fear ahead of the 2027 governorship contest in Abia State,” they said.
The groups claimed that some politicians in the state were allegedly threatened by Kalu’s growing popularity and his support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda.
They also alleged that their organisations were approached by sponsors of the smear campaign but declined to participate.
“To set the record straight, our organisation was approached about two weeks ago by some of these sponsors to lead the smear campaign, but we declined outright,” they said.
According to the coalition, they are compiling evidence on the alleged fake civil society organisations and their sponsors, which will be submitted to security agencies for investigation.
The groups therefore urged both the DSS and the police to thoroughly investigate the matter and ensure that those responsible are brought to justice.
“This is a deliberate attempt to defame a high-ranking public official and incite public distrust. We are submitting a formal petition to the relevant security agencies to ensure that those responsible face the full weight of the law,” the coalition said.
They also urged Nigerians to disregard the allegations and described them as attempts to distract the Deputy Speaker from his legislative duties in the 10th National Assembly.