Minister Uche Nnaji has resigned from President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet following a certificate forgery scandal that has rocked the Ministry of Innovation, Science, and Technology.
Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga confirmed the resignation in a statement issued late Tuesday, saying the President had accepted Nnaji’s decision to step down.
The embattled minister has been at the center of controversy after an investigation by PREMIUM TIMES revealed inconsistencies in his academic qualifications.
According to the report, the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) disowned the Bachelor of Science degree Nnaji claimed to hold.
The Vice-Chancellor of UNN, Prof. Simon U. Ortuanya, stated that although Nnaji was admitted to the university in 1981, he did not complete his studies and was never issued a degree certificate.
The investigative report also uncovered discrepancies in Nnaji’s National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) records.
Officials from the NYSC said the certificate of national service presented by the former minister was “strange” and could not be authenticated.
In his resignation letter, Nnaji thanked President Tinubu for the opportunity to serve and described the forgery allegations as “politically motivated blackmail.”
He claimed certain political rivals were out to destroy his reputation.
Onanuga confirmed that President Tinubu accepted the resignation and expressed appreciation for Nnaji’s service, wishing him success in his future endeavors.
Nnaji, appointed in August 2023, oversaw several science and innovation programs before his tenure was marred by allegations of academic fraud.
His exit marks the first major cabinet resignation linked to certificate forgery since the start of Tinubu’s administration.
The controversy has stirred debates over the government’s vetting process for ministers, especially amid increasing public scrutiny of officials’ educational backgrounds.
Both UNN and the NYSC have maintained their stance that the documents Nnaji presented were not authentic, sparking calls for a broader investigation into how the minister passed background checks before his appointment.
The post BREAKING: Tinubu’s Minister Nnaji Resigns Amid Certificate Forgery Scandal first appeared on Diaspora Digital Media DDM.
