Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has harshly criticized the recent resignation of Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, calling it a deliberate attempt to cover up a forgery scandal within President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Nnaji stepped down on Tuesday following a media investigation that alleged he submitted forged academic and NYSC certificates during his 2023 ministerial screening. Reports indicated that both the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) disowned the credentials.
In a statement released yesterday, Atiku argued that Nnaji should have been summarily dismissed and prosecuted, rather than being given the “courtesy of resignation.”
“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 stated.
The former Vice President further accused the Department of State Services (DSS) of exhibiting double standards.
He alleged that the DSS cleared Nnaji despite clear document discrepancies, contrasting this with the agency’s decision to screen out former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai over alleged security concerns.
“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 argued.
Linking the incident to what he termed a recurring pattern of deceit originating from the highest office, Atiku referenced past controversies surrounding President Tinubu’s own academic and identity records.
He demanded an independent investigation into the credentials of all members of the Federal Executive Council, including the President, insisting that Nigerians deserve transparency.
Atiku concluded, “Until this cleansing is done, Nigeria will continue to sink deeper into moral decay, economic ruin, and global embarrassment.”
