President Bola Tinubu has accepted the resignation of the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Geoffrey Nnaji, following allegations that he submitted forged academic credentials during his ministerial nomination process.
The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, confirmed the development in a statement on Tuesday, noting that Nnaji tendered his resignation in a letter expressing gratitude to President Tinubu for the opportunity to serve the nation.
“He resigned today in a letter thanking the President for allowing him to serve Nigeria,” Onanuga said.
Sources within the Presidency told The PUNCH that the President advised Nnaji to resign honourably instead of being publicly dismissed. The final decision was reached after a meeting on Tuesday evening at the State House, Abuja, attended by Tinubu and some key advisers.
“The embattled minister has been asked to resign instead of being fired,” one senior source disclosed.
Another official confirmed that Nnaji was expected to submit his resignation letter to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) before the close of business on Tuesday.
The development follows an investigative report by Premium Times, published on Saturday, alleging that Nnaji presented forged university and NYSC certificates to President Tinubu and the Senate in 2023.
According to the report, the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) disowned the degree certificate submitted by Nnaji, confirming that while he was admitted in 1981, he did not complete his programme and was never awarded a degree.
The UNN Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Simon Ortuanya, reportedly confirmed this through a Freedom of Information request dated October 2, 2025. This contradicted an earlier December 2023 letter from UNN’s Registrar, Dr. Celine Nnebedum, which had initially confirmed Nnaji’s graduation but was later withdrawn in May 2025 before the Public Complaints Commission.
Court documents also showed that Nnaji admitted in an affidavit that UNN never issued him a degree certificate.
In September, Nnaji filed a lawsuit at the Federal High Court against the Minister of Education, the National Universities Commission (NUC), UNN, and its Vice-Chancellor, seeking to restrain the institution from altering his academic records.
The matter came up for hearing on Monday, with Sebastian Hon (SAN) representing Nnaji, and E.M. Asogwa appearing for the university. The Minister of Education and NUC were, however, unrepresented in court.
Reacting to the allegations, Nnaji described the report as a smear campaign allegedly orchestrated by political rivals. Speaking through his spokesperson, Dr. Robert Ngwu, at a press briefing in Abuja on Monday, Nnaji insisted that he earned a B.Sc. in Microbiology/Biochemistry (Second Class Lower Division) from UNN in 1985.
He accused the university of playing politics with his records and deliberately withholding his academic transcript.
“This is not about education or integrity; it is about political desperation disguised as academic inquiry,” he said.
Nnaji also presented what he described as the 1985 UNN graduation brochure, showing his name listed as “Nnaji Uchenna G,” alongside a letter from the Registrar confirming his admission in 1981 and graduation in 1985.
His spokesperson further dismissed concerns about the difference between “Nnaji Uchenna G” and “Geoffrey Uchechukwu Nnaji,” saying the names were interchangeable in Igbo culture.
Nnaji’s resignation marks the eighth ministerial exit from Tinubu’s cabinet since its inauguration on August 28, 2023.
The most significant shake-up occurred in October 2024, when Tinubu dismissed five ministers, reassigned ten others, and appointed seven new members to improve cabinet performance. Ministries affected included Education, Tourism, Women Affairs, and Youth Development.
Earlier, former Labour Minister Simon Lalong resigned in December 2023 after reclaiming his Senate seat for Plateau South. In January 2024, Betta Edu, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, was suspended over alleged financial impropriety linked to social welfare payments.
Though Edu denied wrongdoing, she was later investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in connection with the scandal.
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