# John Gaul Lebo

John Gaul Lebo (born 15 March 1972) is a Nigerian lawyer and legislator in Cross River State. He is a former two-term member and Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly representing the Abi Constituency. He is married to Barr Binta Gaul Lebo and they have three children.

## Education

Lebo began his education at St. Bernard's Primary School Ibalebo, Adadama Abi, and obtained his WASSCE at St. Brendan's Secondary School, Iyamoyong, in Obubra. He studied law at the University of Calabar, Nigeria, where he graduated with a LL.B. in 1996. In 1997, he was admitted to further his studies at the Nigerian Law School and qualified as a Barrister at Law and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in 1998.
He furthered his studies at Lagos Business School and holds diplomas in business advisory services, strategic planning, and management from Regenesys Business School in Johannesburg, South Africa; an Executive Master's in Business administration from the Dubai Business School at the Dubai World Trade Centre; an International Diploma in Climate Change Law from the Institute of Parliamentary and Political Law in London; and a Master's degree in International Economic Law.
Lebo attended the 2017 Special Selected (G65) Emerging Leaders Executive Leadership Course at the Kennedy School of Harvard University, where he specialized in Decision Science. He completed his Harvard University Decision Science fellowship program focusing on Reinvented Service Delivery and became an alumnus of the Kennedy School of Harvard University in November 2017.
Lebo has a background in law, having lectured in law at the University of Abuja and served as the managing editor of Law Reports of Nigeria. His firm, Gaul-Gate Law, introduced ICT law reporting to the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

## Political career

In 2007, he was appointed to the legal team of Cross River State and served as a member of its transition committee. In 2011, Lebo received enough votes at the primaries of the People's Democratic Party (Nigeria) to run for a seat representing the Abi local government of Cross River State. He was elected on 10 June 2015, as the Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly. He was the pioneer chairman of the People's Democratic Party (Nigeria) Speakers' Forum and Secretary of the Speakers' Forum Ad-Hoc Committee on the constitutional amendment of Nigeria.
On 10 May 2024, Lebo left the PDP, as stated in a letter addressed to the ward chairman of PDP in Adadama Council Ward, Adadama, Abi local government area of Cross River State.

## Legislative career

Lebo is a member of the Cross River State House of Assembly, where he has sponsored several private member's bills, including:
* A Bill for the Establishment of Songhai Farms in Itigidi, Abi
* A Bill to create the Cross River State College of Nursing in Abi
* A Bill to include seven communities in Cross River State under the CRS BODERCOM law, benefiting communities in Abi
He has also facilitated scholarships for over 50 students from Abi and sponsored training for indigenes at the CBN Enterprise Development Center in Calabar, as well as training for 30 women under Forever Living Products through the John Gaul Lebo scholarship.
In addition to his legislative work, Lebo has participated in international conferences, including the 46th Commonwealth Parliamentary Association African Region Annual Parliament Meetings in Nairobi in 2015, the United Nations General Assembly in New York in February 2015, the 22nd session of the Marrakech World Climate Change Conference in November 2016, and the 5th session of the World Government Summit in Dubai in February 2017.

## Academic memberships

Lebo is an alumnus and fellow of the following:
* Fellow, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
* Fellow, Institute of Strategic Management, FISM
* Fellow, Chartered Management Institute, FCMI
* Fellow, Institute of Corporate Management, FICM
* Fellow, Chartered Institute of project CIMP
* Alumnus, Kennedy School of Harvard University, Harvard University, Boston
* Alumnos, Regenesys Business School, Johannesburg, South Africa

## Honors and awards

In February 2017, Lebo received an award from the Ghana Civilian Institute of Administration for promoting a model in Legislative Administration, which is part of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association annual performance review and referral award. He was invited to participate in the 5th session of the World Government Summit in 2017. That same year, he was awarded the Nnamdi Azikiwe Zik Prize for best state legislature leadership in Nigeria.