A breakaway faction of the Coalition of South East Youth Leaders (COSEYL), operating as the Reform Caucus, has tendered an unreserved apology to Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu and announced the immediate suspension of the organisation’s president, Goodluck Ibem, over an unauthorised statement targeting the lawmaker.

Addressing journalists at a press conference on Friday, the caucus — led by Prince Ogbu Emmanuel as President, Barrister Somto Nwokoye as Secretary, and Nellobi Bright as Publicity Secretary — distanced the organisation entirely from Ibem’s petition to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee, describing it as a rogue act that misrepresented COSEYL and damaged its reputation.

“COSEYL is not for sale. Our name is not a commodity to be hawked in corridors of mischief,” the group declared, alleging that Ibem had repeatedly exploited the COSEYL platform for personal profit and political score-settling.

The caucus mounted a point-by-point legal rebuttal of the allegations contained in Ibem’s petition. On jurisdiction, the group argued that all conduct cited against Kalu predated his call to the Nigerian Bar in September 2011, meaning the LPDC lacks the authority to entertain the petition, as the committee can only investigate conduct arising from the practice of law by a called lawyer.

Regarding claims that Kalu simultaneously attended Law School and completed his NYSC service, the caucus noted that no existing legal provision explicitly prohibits such concurrency, adding that Ibem’s petition failed to identify any specific rule that was breached.

The group also highlighted what it described as a fatal internal contradiction in the petition — that Ibem himself exhibited Kalu’s Call to Bar Certificate as evidence, effectively conceding the validity of his enrolment as a legal practitioner.

Characterising the petition as “frivolous, malicious, and politically motivated,” the caucus expressed confidence that any credible legal panel would dismiss it outright.

The group described Kalu as “one of NdiIgbo’s rising servant leaders” and tendered an apology to him, his family, his constituents, and his office for “the embarrassment, distress, and reputational damage” caused by Ibem’s statement.

Ibem’s suspension takes immediate effect, and any future statement issued in his name purporting to represent COSEYL was declared null and void.