Certificate Forgery Scandal: Embattled Minister Finally Steps Down

Geoffrey Uche Nnaji has left his position as the Innovation, Science, and Technology Minister in President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet.

Accusations of certificate fabrication against him led to his resignation.

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate and bachelor’s degree that Nnaji presented to President Tinubu, as well as to the Senate, the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), were forged, according to an investigation by PREMIUM TIMES that found he had not finished his university education.

The resignation was confirmed in a statement released on Tuesday by Bayo Onanuga, Special Advisor to the President on Information and Strategy.

The president has accepted the minister’s choice to quit willingly, he added.

“After some accusations against Geoffrey Uche Nnaji, the Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, President Tinubu accepted his resignation,” Onanuga said.

In August 2023, President Tinubu selected Nnaji, he recalled. He thanked the president in a letter for letting him serve Nigeria before resigning today (Tuesday).

The former minister reportedly stated that he had “been a target of blackmail by political opponents,” according to the presidential spokesman.

“President Tinubu wished him well in his future endeavors and thanked him for his service,” the statement continued.