Political attack on South-East leader won’t stand, Igbo youths rally behind, Benjamin Kalu

Nkem Ukaegbu, Umuahia

Union of Igbo Youths (UIY) has come out strongly in defense of Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, condemning as politically motivated and unfounded the recent allegations by the Coalition of South East Youth Leaders (COSEYL) over his NYSC certificate and Law School records.

Describing COSEYL as a “group for hire,” the union challenged the coalition to produce credible evidence or issue a public apology, insisting that attacks on the Deputy Speaker amount to an attack on the political ambitions of the South-East as a whole.

In a strongly worded statement issued in Abuja and jointly signed by its National President, Dr. Nicholas Nwigwe, and Vice President, Dr. Ada Stella Okoronkwo, the union said the allegations against Kalu were part of a calculated campaign aimed at discrediting rising political figures from the South-East.

According to the statement, the union, which said its membership spans all 36 states of the federation, was issuing not just a reaction but a warning against what it described as the growing practice of deploying sponsored groups to attack prominent figures from the region.

Central to the UIY’s defence is the outcome of a 2023 verification exercise conducted by the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

The group stated that the NYSC carried out an independent investigation into questions surrounding the Deputy Speaker’s certificate and subsequently issued an official verification letter confirming that Kalu obtained the certificate in full compliance with the provisions of the NYSC Act.

According to the union, a senior NYSC official who participated in the verification process had also publicly reaffirmed the findings.

The UIY challenged COSEYL to present any counter-verification from the NYSC that contradicts the outcome of the 2023 exercise.

“The coalition must produce a contrary verification letter from the NYSC, a document from the Director-General disputing the findings, or an affidavit from a competent authority backing its allegations,” the statement said.

“Because if you cannot and we are certain you cannot, then COSEYL has done nothing less than defame a serving constitutional officer of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

The union also addressed reports suggesting that some individuals were considering filing a petition against Kalu at the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee over his Nigerian Law School records.

However, the group expressed confidence that the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee would not allow itself to be used as an instrument of political harassment.

Describing the committee as one of the country’s most respected regulatory institutions, the UIY called on the leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association and senior members of the legal profession to safeguard the integrity of the disciplinary process from what it termed partisan manipulation.
“Group for Hire”

In a section of the statement titled “COSEYL: A Group for Hire,” the union raised several questions it said the coalition must answer.

Among the issues raised were the identity of those allegedly funding the campaign, the title and reference number of any report purportedly indicting the Deputy Speaker, and whether the coalition had sought legal advice before making allegations against a constitutional office holder.

The group also questioned whether COSEYL could publicly account for its sources of funding and whether it was connected to what it described as a broader network allegedly mobilising protest groups, including some from outside the South-East, against Kalu.

According to the union, the intensity of the attacks on the Deputy Speaker is driven more by political fear than genuine concerns about accountability.

The statement noted that Kalu had neither declared interest in the Abia State governorship nor publicly expressed intention to contest any election.

The union argued that the attacks were instead motivated by concerns about his growing political influence and national visibility.

“They are not fighting a declared candidate. They are fighting a potential,” the statement said.

It added that Kalu’s role in attracting federal attention and development opportunities to the South-East, as well as his voice in national politics, had unsettled entrenched interests.

The UIY urged Igbo youth organisations, traditional institutions and the media to reject what it described as a smear campaign.

It also called on security agencies to investigate the alleged funding of protest activities targeting the Deputy Speaker.

“An attack on Benjamin Kalu at this scale is not simply an attack on one man,” the statement said. “It is an attack on the ambition of every Igbo person who dares to rise.”

Efforts to reach the Coalition of South East Youth Leaders for comment were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.