Presidency Finally Reacts to Certificate Forgery Allegations Against Minister Uche Nnaji

The Presidency has broken its silence on the certificate forgery allegations against the Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation, Chief Uche Nnaji, saying it will await the court’s verdict before taking any action.

Presidential Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, told an online news platform that the federal government would not comment on the controversy since the matter is already before a competent court of law. He emphasised that due process would be respected and that the government would only act after the judicial process is concluded.

“This matter is already in court. We should await the verdict of the court,” Onanuga said in response to inquiries about the growing pressure on the minister to resign.

The controversy escalated after the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), in a letter dated October 2, 2025, disowned the certificate allegedly submitted by Nnaji. The letter, signed by Vice Chancellor Prof. Simon Ortuanya, stated that records showed Nnaji, with matriculation number 1981/30725, was admitted to study Microbiology/Biochemistry in 1981 but did not complete his studies. The university therefore declared that it “did not and could not have issued” a degree certificate to him in July 1985.

In response, Nnaji denied the forgery allegations, insisting that he graduated from the university and urging the institution to release his academic transcript. At a press conference in Abuja, represented by his media adviser, Dr. Robert Ngwu, the minister said the allegations were politically motivated and aimed at damaging his reputation ahead of the 2027 governorship election in Enugu State.

Ngwu presented a document allegedly signed by the university’s registrar, confirming that Nnaji graduated in 1985 with a Second-Class Honours (Lower Division) in Microbiology/Biochemistry. He questioned why a new letter from the university in 2025 contradicted the earlier document issued in December 2023, alleging political interference by top university officials.

The minister revealed that he had already approached the Federal High Court in Abuja, where Justice Hauwa Yilwa granted orders restraining the university from tampering with his records and compelling it to release his transcript. The case, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1909/2025, has been adjourned to November 10 for hearing after counsel for UNN failed to file responses.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Bar Association’s (NBA) Anti-Corruption Committee has called on President Bola Tinubu to sack and prosecute Nnaji, arguing that the allegations pose a serious credibility test for the administration. The committee chairman, Prof. Babafemi Badejo, said a government committed to integrity should suspend the minister and allow investigations to proceed without interference.

In a related development, the Enugu State Government denied sponsoring any allegations against Nnaji, urging him to “carry his cross” and clear his name. In a statement by the state’s Director of Information, Chukwuemeka Nebo, the government distanced itself from the scandal, saying it had no involvement in the minister’s academic controversy.

Nebo also questioned inconsistencies in the minister’s academic and NYSC records, including differences in names, failed courses, and irregularities in his NYSC discharge certificate. He criticised the minister for sending aides to address the press instead of speaking personally to Nigerians.

Despite mounting pressure from civil society groups and opposition figures, Nnaji has maintained his innocence, describing the forgery allegations as a politically motivated attempt to tarnish his image. The Presidency, however, insists it will not interfere in the matter until the court delivers its judgment on November 10.