How Tinubu Ordered Ex-Minister Nnaji’s Resignation Amid Certificate Forgery Scandal

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By Odekunle Doyin

Former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, was reportedly directed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to resign following allegations that he forged his university degree and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificates.

Multiple sources familiar with the development told News Alert that Nnaji was summoned to the Presidential Villa, where the President asked him to step down over the controversy surrounding his academic records.

“The President invited him over to the Villa and asked him to resign. He was not threatened with a sack; the President didn’t have to do that because he appointed him and he could ask him to resign. So, Nnaji had no option than to do that,” one of the aides said.

Nnaji had claimed to have obtained a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) in 1985, a claim the university has since disowned.

Another top official said Nnaji’s resignation was necessary to prevent the matter from further embarrassing the government.

“The President asked him (Nnaji) to resign. Of course, he had become an embarrassment and a distraction to the government, and the longer you drag it, the more damaging it becomes,” the source said.

“Some ministers and presidential aides felt that the earlier the President offloaded him, the better. He was becoming a liability to the government. It is not an allegation that can be swept under the carpet, so the best thing was for him to leave. Give him a soft landing, so the President told him to resign.”

He also blamed the University of Nigeria for prolonging the matter through inconsistent statements.

“It took that long (for Nnaji’s resignation) because the university wrote a letter that he (Nnaji) graduated; they claimed that he graduated, but they are now saying that he did not graduate,” the source added.

The aide further dismissed claims that the Department of State Services (DSS) failed in its vetting process, saying the agency might have been misled by UNN’s initial position.

“I know that the DSS has the resources to do a good job and they have always done a good job; maybe this one slipped or maybe they got the letter from the school that he graduated from there,” he said.

When asked whether the DSS would be sanctioned, the official said:

“We cannot place the blame solely on the DSS. What about the Senate that screened him? They were also expected to scrutinise the certificates he presented.”

Background

Nnaji’s ordeal began after Premium Times published an investigative report alleging that the former minister submitted forged academic and NYSC certificates to President Tinubu and the Senate during his ministerial screening in 2023.

The newspaper said UNN, in response to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request, denied issuing Nnaji’s degree certificate, confirming instead that though he was admitted in 1981, he did not complete his studies.

In a letter dated October 2, 2025, the university’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Simon Ortuanya, stated that Nnaji “was not a graduate of the institution.”

The ex-minister later filed a suit at the Federal High Court, Abuja, seeking to restrain UNN from releasing or tampering with his academic records. In his ex parte motion, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1909/2025, Nnaji admitted that he had “yet to collect” his degree certificate — contradicting the one he had earlier presented for ministerial screening.

On September 22, Justice Hausa Yilwa dismissed his request, clearing the way for the university to release his records.

Resignation

Following the court ruling and growing public criticism, Nnaji resigned his position, citing personal integrity and the need to avoid distracting the Tinubu administration.

In his resignation letter, he described the allegations as “an orchestrated sustained campaign of falsehood, politically motivated, and malicious attacks” aimed at tarnishing his image and undermining his contributions to the Renewed Hope Agenda.

“I took the decision to step down to protect my integrity and prevent further distractions to the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda,” he said.