Enugu Governor, Minister Trade Words Over Certificate Forgery Allegations

A political storm erupted on Monday as the controversy over the academic credentials of the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, took a new twist, with his media aide, Robert Ngwu, accusing Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, of masterminding a smear campaign against his principal.

Addressing journalists in Abuja, Ngwu dismissed reports that Nnaji forged his university and National Youth Service Corps certificates, describing the allegations as false and politically motivated. He claimed that Governor Mbah was behind the campaign to tarnish the minister’s image for political gain, alleging that “all these sponsored events are being coordinated by Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State.”

Ngwu said the attacks were linked to the governor’s alleged ambition to defect from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress and fears that Nnaji could pose a political obstacle. He added that the minister had formally requested his transcript from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), to clear his name, but the institution had yet to release it despite a court order. According to Ngwu, the minister’s file was “kept under lock and key” in the Vice-Chancellor’s office.

Responding to questions over discrepancies in the minister’s name on academic records, Ngwu explained that the variation between “Nnaji Uchenna” and “Uche Geoffrey Nnaji” was a cultural one, adding that both names are used interchangeably in Igbo. He maintained that Nnaji graduated from UNN in 1985 and said the university had confirmed this in writing in December 2023.

The accusations came days after Premium Times published an investigative report alleging that Nnaji submitted forged academic and NYSC certificates to President Bola Tinubu and the Senate during his ministerial screening in 2023. The report stated that UNN disowned the degree certificate presented by Nnaji, noting that although he was admitted in 1981, he did not complete his studies. UNN Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Simon Ortuanya, reportedly confirmed this in a Freedom of Information response dated October 2, stating that Nnaji was not listed among the university’s graduates.

This contradicted an earlier response from the UNN Registrar, Celine Nnebedum, who in December 2023 affirmed that Nnaji graduated, but later recanted in a May 2025 letter to the Public Complaints Commission, saying the university could not find his name in the 1985 graduation records. Court documents also showed that Nnaji himself had sworn in an affidavit admitting that the university never issued him a degree certificate and that he had “never collected one.”

In September, Nnaji filed a lawsuit at the Federal High Court seeking to stop the Minister of Education, the National Universities Commission, UNN, and its Vice-Chancellor from tampering with his academic records. The case was heard on Monday, with Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Sebastian Hon, representing the minister.

Reacting to the allegations, the Enugu State Government distanced itself from the controversy. The Director of Information, Chukwuemeka Nebo, said the state had no involvement in the matter, urging Nnaji to “carry his cross and clear his name before Nigerians.” Nebo criticised the minister for failing to address the allegations personally despite inviting journalists to a press conference.

He questioned why Nnaji sent representatives instead of speaking directly to the media, saying, “Who can narrate Chief Nnaji’s UNN story better than him? Why invite the media only to outsource the conference?” Nebo listed a series of questions he said Nigerians deserved answers to, including whether Nnaji truly graduated from UNN, why his records indicate repeated failures in Virology (MCB 431), and why he presented a degree certificate despite swearing in court that he was never issued one.

The state government also raised concerns about inconsistencies in the NYSC certificate allegedly submitted by the minister, noting irregularities in its numbering and signature compared to those of the period it was supposedly issued.

Nebo concluded that Nigerians deserved clarity on the matter, saying, “If he is truly innocent, he should come forward and clear his name rather than trading blames.”