• Resignation not admission of guilt, says former minister
• CISLAC demands lifetime ban as NGOs blame Senate, DSS for scandal
• Atiku: Same DSS that rejected el-Rufai cleared Nnaji with forged certificates
• HEDA slams Presidency, others over appointment despite allegations

The forgery scandal surrounding the resignation of Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Geoffrey Nnaji, has reignited debate over integrity in Nigerian politics.

The development has also pitted defenders of his “honourable” exit against critics demanding accountability, and exposing the alarming failures of state institutions meant to safeguard public office from fraud and disrepute.

Meanwhile, barely a day after leaving office, Nnaji declared his resignation was not an admission of guilt. In a statement he personally signed, Nnaji said he stepped down following what he described as a sustained and politically motivated campaign of falsehood and malicious attacks against him.

He explained that the decision to resign was a personal choice and a principled one, aimed at respecting due process and safeguarding the integrity of ongoing judicial proceedings.

The former minister expressed confidence that he would be vindicated in the legal case he had instituted against the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), adding that justice would prevail.

“After deep reflection and consultations with family, associates, and well-meaning Nigerians, I have tendered my resignation as the Honourable Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he said.

“This decision did not come lightly. Over the past week, an orchestrated, sustained campaign of falsehood, politically motivated, and malicious attacks has been waged against my person, integrity, and office across print, electronic, and social media platforms.

“These unfounded allegations and media distortions have not only caused personal distress but have also begun to distract from the vital work of the Ministry and the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr President.

“As someone who has spent more than five decades building a reputation anchored on hard work, honour, and service to humanity, I cannot in good conscience allow these distractions to cast a shadow over the noble objectives of this administration.

“My decision to step aside is therefore a personal choice; not an admission of guilt, but rather a principled decision to respect the sanctity of due process and to preserve the integrity of the judicial proceedings currently before the court. In the end, justice will prevail, and history will vindicate the just.

“I remain deeply grateful to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the confidence he reposed in me and for the privilege to serve in his cabinet. His vision for a renewed, innovative, and technologically driven Nigeria is one I continue to hold dear, and I pledge my unflinching support to his administration and its transformative goals,” Nnaji said.

CISLAC demands lifetime ban for Nnaji as NGOs blame Senate, DSS for scandal
HOWEVER, the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) called for a lifetime ban from public office on Nnaji, insisting that he was unrepentant and only resigned under public pressure.

At the same time, HallowMace Foundation Africa, a non-governmental organisation focused on promoting accountability and transparency, blamed the scandal surrounding Nnaji’s degree and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificates on what it described as the “bow and go syndrome” in Senate screening and institutional failure by the Department of State Services (DSS).

Both organisations also urged the National Assembly and DSS to apologise to Nigerians for what they described as an international embarrassment resulting from their failure to properly vet the former minister’s credentials.

Speaking in a telephone interview with journalists yesterday, CISLAC’s Executive Director, Auwal Ibrahim Musa (Rafsanjani), said Nnaji had been trading blame despite overwhelming evidence against him and should never again be allowed to hold public office.

“He did not resign of his own volition. He was forced by the public, the media, and the civil society to resign. He didn’t resign as an honourable man. He actually went to court to stop the university from releasing his record. In fact, we should ban him from public office for life,” he said.

In a statement jointly signed by its Executive Director, Anderson Osiebe, and Head of Public Communications, Oguh Hyginus, the HallowMace Foundation Africa stated that Nigerians deserved transparent and accountable institutions that could act as effective gatekeepers against fraudulent public officials.

“The sequence of events in Minister Nnaji’s case reveals catastrophic failures in the verification systems designed to prevent such occurrences.

“According to the timeline of events, the University of Nigeria Nsukka had clearly stated in May 2025 that they had no record of issuing a degree certificate to Nnaji in 1985, and this position was reaffirmed in October 2025. Why wasn’t this basic verification conducted during the screening process in 2023?

“The leadership of both screening institutions should issue public apologies to the Nigerian people for this grave failure of due diligence and outline concrete steps being taken to prevent recurrences.

“If the National Assembly and DSS, with their extensive resources and mandate, could not authenticate a certificate from a Nigerian institution, what confidence can citizens have in their ability to vet appointees for critical national positions?” the organisation stated.

HEDA slams Presidency, DSS, Senate over Nnaji’s appointment despite forgery allegations
ALSO, the Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) criticised the Presidency, the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Nigerian Senate for what it described as a gross dereliction of duty in the appointment and confirmation of former Minister of Science and Technology, Geoffrey Nnaji, who resigned amid allegations of forging his Bachelor’s degree and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificates.

In a statement signed by its Chairman, Olanrewaju Suraju, the group condemned what it called a shameful institutional failure that allowed a minister with forged credentials to pass through multiple layers of scrutiny, from DSS security vetting to Senate confirmation and presidential appointment, despite credible warnings and petitions it submitted.

“It is disheartening that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and the DSS all ignored clear red flags and public outcry over Nnaji’s forged bachelor’s degree and NYSC certificate. This incident not only erodes public trust in government institutions but also reinforces the perception that corruption and impunity remain the operating principles within Nigeria’s political leadership,” Suraju said.

HEDA recalled that in June 2024, it had petitioned President Tinubu and the Senate, calling for an immediate investigation into the forgery allegations and for Nnaji’s suspension pending the outcome. However, instead of acting decisively, the Presidency remained silent while the Senate ignored the petition despite mounting evidence, a move HEDA described as a betrayal of public trust.

The group also faulted the DSS for failing to carry out proper verification or for suppressing overwhelming evidence during its security screening, alleging that such negligence had enabled several unqualified individuals with questionable records to attain high public office.

“This is not the first time the DSS has cleared ministerial nominees with forged or questionable credentials. From the cases of Kemi Adeosun to Stella Oduah, and now Geoffrey Nnaji, the pattern of negligence has become too consistent to ignore. The agency has turned what should be a rigorous national security process into a mere formality or extortion opportunity, and Nigerians deserve answers,” Suraju added.

While acknowledging Nnaji’s resignation as necessary but belated, HEDA maintained that accountability must go beyond resignation and called for his immediate prosecution as well as sanctions against all officials involved in clearing and appointing him.

“Resignation does not erase the crime of forgery. The law must take its course, and those who enabled this fraud within the Presidency, DSS, and the Senate must also be held accountable,” Suraju said.

The group urged President Tinubu to demonstrate a genuine commitment to integrity in governance by directing the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate the forgery case and the institutional lapses that allowed it to occur, to serve as a deterrent to future misconduct.

“Until those in authority begin to take responsibility for their failures, Nigeria will continue to recycle corruption under different faces,” Suraju warned.

HEDA, he added, would continue to act as a moral compass for accountability and would not relent in demanding that those entrusted with power act with integrity and transparency.

ADC: APC govt becoming ‘nest of certificate forgers’
THE African Democratic Congress (ADC) criticised President Bola Tinubu’s administration for treating alleged cases of certificate forgery with levity, saying such an attitude portrays the ruling party as a “nest of certificate forgers.”

The party said the involvement of a minister in the All Progressives Congress (APC) government, Uche Nnaji, in a forgery scandal was further evidence of a troubling pattern.

In a statement issued yesterday, the ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, described the President’s response as weak and disappointing, arguing that a government that claims to uphold integrity cannot treat criminal conduct as a private matter.

“The ADC believes that the decision of President Tinubu to merely accept the offending former minister’s resignation instead of taking a tougher stance gives the unfortunate impression that the President is sympathetic to such behaviour,” the statement read.

“We are equally appalled that the minister was allowed to quietly resign after publicly admitting that the certificates he presented were not issued by the relevant institutions. This sends the wrong message to Nigerians, especially the youth, that dishonesty carries no consequence in public life.

“It is imperative to reiterate that both the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) officially disowned the certificates Nnaji presented for his ministerial appointment, while court filings by the minister himself confirmed that UNN never awarded him any degree certificate.

“In this regard, by simply accepting his resignation, President Tinubu has shown that, for whatever reason, his administration is willing to let corrupt officials off the hook easily, and he is not willing to set an example for those who serve under him that dishonesty has serious consequences.

“As mentioned in our initial statement on this subject, Nigerians are aware that this is not an isolated incident but part of a troubling pattern that has defined the APC government since its inception.

“From one certificate scandal to another, Nigerians have watched the APC turn dishonesty into an identity, offering sanctuary to people with questionable integrity and forgery.

“Indeed, if the President cannot act firmly in a case that was this clear, how can Nigerians trust his government to fight corruption in any other form?

“As a party, we therefore call on relevant law enforcement agencies to pursue an independent investigation into the matter, noting that resignation does not erase criminal liability.

“Forgery is not a private offence, it is a crime. If found guilty, Mr Nnaji should be prosecuted in accordance with the law. Anything less will amount to a cover-up.”

Atiku: Same DSS that rejected el-Rufai cleared Nnaji with forged certificates
FORMER presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, demanded the prosecution of former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, over alleged certificate forgery.

In a statement yesterday titled “Forgery as State Policy: Tinubu, His Cabinet, and the DSS Must Be Held Accountable,” Atiku said Nnaji should not have been allowed to resign voluntarily but should have been “summarily dismissed and prosecuted for deceit and falsification.”

“By permitting him to quietly exit through the back door, the Tinubu administration has once again demonstrated that it is an assembly of forgers, impostors, and morally bankrupt individuals masquerading as public servants,” he said.

The former Vice President accused the Bola Tinubu administration of treating a serious crime with levity and criticised security agencies, particularly the Department of State Services (DSS), for what he described as a failure of due diligence. He said this failure had “made Nigeria an object of ridicule before the world” and raised concerns about how many other individuals with questionable credentials were serving in government.

“Tuesday’s resignation of Uche Nnaji, Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, has once again brought to light the deep moral crisis at the heart of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration. What should ordinarily be a matter of national shame is now being disguised as a ‘voluntary resignation’, an attempt to whitewash yet another scandal that typifies the forgery-ridden character of this government,” the statement read.

“What makes this even more embarrassing is that the same Department of State Services, which screened out Mallam Nasir el-Rufai for alleged ‘security concerns’, is the very agency that cleared this same character, Uche Nnaji. The DSS truly deserves our flowers for this national disgrace. Their failure of due diligence has made Nigeria an object of ridicule before the world and raises the question: how many more of such individuals are occupying sensitive positions in this government?”

Atiku stated that the scandal was not an isolated incident but part of a broader pattern of dishonesty that, in his view, originates from the very top. He accused President Bola Tinubu of being embroiled in long-standing controversies over his identity, age, and academic records, citing the Chicago State University case and other contradictory claims.

“When a man of questionable identity leads a country, deception becomes the standard of governance. Tinubu’s personal history of alleged forgery and perjury has effectively institutionalised falsehood in public service. It is therefore unsurprising that his ministers and aides have taken after his example by falsifying documents, inflating records, and desecrating the moral foundation of our nation,” he said.

Atiku called for an independent and comprehensive investigation into the academic and professional credentials of all members of the Federal Executive Council, starting with the President.

“Until this cleansing is done, Nigeria will continue to sink deeper into moral decay, economic ruin, and global embarrassment. The time has come to rescue our country from the grip of deceit and restore integrity to public life,” he added.

Group hails Nnaji’s resignation as act of courage, statesmanship
A political advocacy group, Integrity in Politics, described the resignation of the Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Uche Geoffrey Nnaji, as a rare display of candour in leadership and a demonstration of statesmanship.

Reacting to the minister’s exit yesterday, the group, through its convener Nnanke Nelson, said Nnaji had joined the ranks of selfless politicians who prioritise national interest over personal ambition.

Nelson said the minister’s decision to step aside and allow the court process to run its course showed courage, noting that only a few politicians in history had taken such a path.

“Uche Geoffrey Nnaji is leaving with his integrity intact. It’s honourable and gentlemanly of him to do this,” Nelson said.

“Instead of hanging on like barnacles like most people would do, he has chosen to resign on principle. He needs to be applauded instead of demonising him,” he added.

“It’s people like Nnaji who do not see public office as ‘do or die’ that Nigeria needs at this time, because this singular act of principled resignation as a matter of honour is good for our democratic system.”

The group advised Nnaji to use the period to seek justice and pursue the matter to its logical conclusion, thereby clearing any controversy surrounding the name and reputation he had built over the decades.

Women’s group commends Nnaji for choosing path of honour
THE Executive Director of the League of Women Politicians, Mrs Edereke Ibiam, praised former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Geoffrey Nnaji, for choosing the path of honour by resigning from office amid the controversy surrounding his certificate.

Ibiam, in a statement yesterday, urged other politicians in the country to emulate Nnaji’s example when faced with similar challenges.

“With this, we believe Nnaji has demonstrated that he has no skeletons in his cupboard, and we pray that Mr President will restore him back to his office as soon as the courts clear him of this alleged misdemeanour,” she said.