A coalition of civil society organisations (CSO) under the auspices of Save Nigeria Movement (SNM) has cautioned political actors against campaign of calumny ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The convener of the group, Solomon Semeka, who gave the caution at a news conference in Abuja on Sunday, said that such practices threatened Nigeria’s growing democracy.

Mr Semeka frowned at ongoing narratives claiming that the Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, illegally attended Law School while still participating in the mandatory one-year National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme.

According to him, this is despite the fact that the Legal Practitioners and Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) had dismissed a petition filed against the deputy speaker for lack of merit.

He said that following an independent investigation, the coalition could categorically describe the allegation as baseless, as no evidence, documentary or otherwise, supported the claims.

“The attention of the genuine civil society community has been drawn to a coordinated and malicious campaign of calumny targetted at the deputy speaker.

“These faceless groups, hiding behind the veil of activism, have been circulating tired and baseless allegations regarding his (Kalu’s) NYSC and Law School records.

“The fictitious narrative being peddled by sponsored groups is not only a fabrication but a recycled falsehood straight from the pit of hell,” he said.

Mr Semeka called on security agencies to go after sponsors of such political groups and ensure they account for their actions.

“This is a deliberate attempt to incite public unrest and defame a high-ranking state official,” he said.

He said that the coalition would submit a formal petition to relevant security agencies to ensure the sponsors faced the full weight of the law.

The convener urged Nigerians to disregard any further narrative against the deputy speaker, describing him as a national pride whose impact transcends his home state. 

(NAN)