Certificate forgery: Igbo youths cite NYSC verification in defence of Deputy Speaker, Kalu

​The Union of Igbo Youths (UIY) has dismissed allegations  against the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, regarding his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and Nigerian Law School records as “fabricated and politically motivated.”

​In a statement issued yesterday, the group accused the Coalition of South East Youth Leaders (COSEYL) of acting as a “group for hire” on behalf of unnamed political sponsors.

The statement, signed by UIY National President, Dr. Nicholas Nwigwe, and Vice President, Dr. Ada Stella Okoronkwo, warned that the allegations are part of a calculated campaign to discredit rising leaders from the Southeast.

​Central to the UIY’s defence is a 2023 verification exercise conducted by the NYSC. The union stated that following an independent investigation into Kalu’s credentials, the NYSC issued an official letter confirming his compliance with the NYSC Act. ​The UIY challenged COSEYL to provide evidence to the contrary.

​“The coalition must produce a contrary verification letter from the NYSC or a sworn affidavit from a competent authority,” the statement read. “Failure to do so confirms that COSEYL has done nothing less than defame a serving constitutional officer,” the statement added.

​Addressing reports of a potential petition against Kalu at the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC), the UIY expressed confidence that the body would not be used for “political harassment.” They called on the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to safeguard the integrity of the disciplinary process from partisan manipulation.

​The UIY suggested that the attacks are rooted in “political fear” rather than genuine accountability. They noted that although Kalu has not declared interest in the Abia State governorship or any other office, his growing national visibility has “unsettled entrenched interests.”

​“They are not fighting a declared candidate; they are fighting a potential,” the union argued, adding that an attack on Kalu’s ambition is an attack on the progress of the South East.

​The group concluded by calling on security agencies to investigate the funding behind the protest activities targeting the Deputy Speaker.