The Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) has dismissed a petition filed against the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt Hon Benjamin Kalu, PhD ruling that the complaint failed to establish any prima facie case within its jurisdiction.
The petition, filed by Lagos-based lawyer , John Aikpokpo Martins alleged that Kalu made false declarations relating to his participation in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and his training at the Nigerian Law School prior to his call to the Nigerian Bar in 2011.
In the complaint submitted to the LPDC, the applicant claimed that the Deputy Speaker allegedly participated in the NYSC scheme at the same time he was undergoing training at the Nigerian Law School, an action he argued contravenes the provisions of the NYSC Act and the requirements of the Law School programme.
The petitioner further alleged that the respondent may have misled relevant authorities, including the Nigerian Law School, the NYSC and the Body of Benchers, thereby enabling him to obtain an NYSC discharge certificate and subsequently be enrolled on the Roll of Legal Practitioners.
However, in its decision, the LPDC held that the issues raised in the petition were outside its statutory jurisdiction.
In the opinion signed by Umeh Kalu, the committee noted that the allegations cited by the applicant relate to events that allegedly occurred before the respondent was called to the Nigerian Bar.
According to the committee, the LPDC is empowered primarily to regulate the professional conduct of legal practitioners after they have been called to the Bar and enrolled to practise law.
The committee further observed that the matters raised by the petitioner involve institutions such as the Nigerian Law School, the NYSC, the Council of Legal Education and the Body of Benchers, adding that the LPDC does not possess the authority to interrogate or review the operations of these bodies.
The ruling also emphasized that issues bordering on alleged false declarations or criminal conduct fall within the purview of regular courts and other relevant regulatory agencies, not the disciplinary committee.
After reviewing the originating application, the statement of facts and the accompanying affidavit, the LPDC concluded that the applicant failed to present sufficient evidence to warrant inviting the Deputy Speaker to respond to the complaint.
“In the circumstance, I find that the Applicant has not adduced any prima facie evidence from the facts contained in his Application to warrant the Respondent being invited to respond to the complaint,” the opinion stated.
The committee therefore ruled that the complaint fell outside its jurisdiction and dismissed the petition.
“No prima facie case is established,” the decision concluded.
The ruling was certified as a true copy by the Registrar of the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee on March 11, 2026.
