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Atiku says Nnaji’s resignation shields deeper forgery crisis
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He accuses DSS of clearing minister despite document discrepancies
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Demands probe into Tinubu and entire cabinet’s academic records
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has condemned the resignation of the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, describing it as a calculated attempt to conceal what he called “a forgery scandal” at the heart of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
The controversy follows a Premium Times investigation alleging that Nnaji submitted forged academic and NYSC certificates to the Senate during his 2023 ministerial screening.
Both the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and the NYSC reportedly denied issuing the credentials.
Reacting via his official X handle on Wednesday, Atiku said Nnaji should not have been allowed to resign honourably but should have been dismissed and prosecuted for forgery.
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“Tuesday’s resignation of Uche Nnaji, Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, has once again brought to light the deep moral crisis within this government. 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 administration,” Atiku wrote.
The former Vice President also accused the Department of State Services (DSS) of applying double standards, alleging that the same agency that screened out former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, for “security reasons” had cleared Nnaji despite visible inconsistencies in his documents.
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“What makes this even more embarrassing is that the same DSS which screened out Mallam Nasir El-Rufai for alleged security concerns is the very agency that cleared this same character, Uche Nnaji,” he added.
Atiku linked the saga to what he termed a recurring “pattern of deceit from the very top”, referencing past controversies surrounding President Tinubu’s academic and identity records.
He called for a comprehensive investigation into the educational and identity credentials of all members of the Federal Executive Council, including the President, insisting that Nigerians deserve full transparency in governance.
“Until this cleansing is done, Nigeria will continue to sink deeper into moral decay, economic ruin, and global embarrassment,” he warned.
