*Ex-minister Insists He Did Not Forge UNN, NYSC Certificates
BY GODWIN IJEDIOGOR
PRESIDENT Bola Ahmed Tinubu has accepted the resignation of Geoffrey Uche Nnaji, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, over allegations of certificate forgery against him.
A statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, on Tuesday, said Nnaji, who was appointed in August 2023, in a resignation letter earlier in the day, thanking the President for allowing him to serve Nigeria.
Tinubu, in turn, thanked nnaji for his service and wished him well in future endeavours.
Nnaji said he has been a target of blackmail by political opponents, insisting he did not forge his Bachelor of Science (BSc) certificate.
While appealling to authorities of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) to release his academic transcript, he accused the institution of “playing politics” with his records, claiming he graduated in 1985 with a BSc in Microbiology/Biochemistry (Second Class Lower) and the university had no justification to continue withholding his transcript.
Speaking spoke at a press conference in Abuja through his media aide, Robert Ngwu, the minister stated: “Let me state clearly and for the record: Chief Uche Nnaji is a proud alumnus of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), having graduated in July 1985 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Microbiology/Biochemistry, with Second Class (Honours) Lower Division.
“That fact is not in doubt. It is documented in the university’s own records, acknowledged in its official correspondence and reflected in its 1985 convocation brochure, which remains part of UNN’s permanent archives.
“The only authentic letter issued by the University of Nigeria on this matter is the one dated 21 December 2023, duly stamped and signed by Mrs. I.A.S. Onyeador for the Registrar, Dr. (Mrs.) Celine Ngozi Nnebedum.
“That official communication, written in response to People’s Gazette inquiry confirmed that: ‘Mr. Geoffrey Uchechukwu Nnaji, with registration number 1981/30725, was admitted in 1981 to study Microbiology/Biochemistry and graduated in July 1985 with a Bachelor of Science, Second Class (Honours) Lower Division.”
“That was the official position of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, properly stamped, duly issued and still valid.”
He added: “Two years later, in May 2025, a purported letter surfaced, allegedly written by the university, suddenly claiming that there were ‘no records’ of the minister’s graduation.
“The question every Nigerian should ask is simple and logical: What changed between December 2023 and May 2025, apart from the fact that two card-carrying members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) suddenly emerged as acting Vice Chancellor and then Vice Chancellor of the University?
“It is on that same political foundation that Premium Times built its false story. By academic convention worldwide, the Registrar, not the Vice Chancellor, is the custodian of all examination and graduation records.
“Any attempt by a Vice Chancellor to assume that role is an aberration in university protocol and, in this case, an obvious political overreach.
“When the minister got wind of attempts within the university to tamper with or alter his academic file, he immediately sought legal redress by approaching the Federal High Court, Abuja, in Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/1909/2025, presided over by Justice H.J. Yilwa.
“On 22 September 2025, the court granted a series of protective orders, including an injunction restraining the Vice Chancellor and management of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, from tampering or continuing to tamper with the minister’s academic records; an order of mandamus compelling the university to release his academic transcript; and a directive to the supervising authorities to ensure compliance through their disciplinary powers.”
According to him: “These are not speculative claims; they are certified orders of the Federal High Court.
“That alone should settle the matter. Unfortunately, instead of adhering strictly to the valid court order, the Vice Chancellor, a lawyer by profession, resorted to cyber-bullying and politically -motivated media trial against Nnaji.
“It is increasingly clear that this entire episode is not about education or integrity; it is about political desperation, disguised as academic inquiry.
“The timing, the sources, the false documents and the paid narratives all point to a coordinated campaign to drag a reputable public servant into the mud of partisan politics.”
Nnaji has been embroilled in controversy over alleged forgery of the certificates of the university and the National Youth Service Coorps (NYSC) and presented same during his screening for the position of minister by the Senate.
