President Bola Tinubu Accepts Resignation of Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology
President Bola Tinubu has accepted the resignation of Geoffrey Nnaji, the Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology. This decision came after allegations of certificate forgery were raised against Nnaji. The resignation was confirmed by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, in a statement released on Tuesday.
Nnaji submitted his resignation in a letter, expressing gratitude for the opportunity to serve Nigeria. According to the statement, he had been a target of blackmail from political opponents. President Tinubu thanked Nnaji for his service and wished him well in future endeavors.
The decision to accept Nnaji’s resignation was made following a brief meeting between the President and key advisers at the State House in Abuja on Tuesday evening. Nnaji was not present during this meeting.
Highly-placed sources within the Presidency indicated that Tinubu requested Nnaji to resign honorably rather than being publicly dismissed. This move is seen as an effort to maintain dignity and avoid further public scrutiny.
Background of the Allegations
The development follows a recent investigative report by Premium Times, which alleged that Nnaji submitted forged academic and NYSC certificates during his ministerial nomination process in 2023. The report claimed that the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) disowned the degree certificate submitted by Nnaji, stating that although he was admitted in 1981, he did not complete his studies and was never awarded a degree.
In response to a Freedom of Information request dated October 2, the Vice-Chancellor of UNN, Simon Ortuanya, confirmed that Nnaji was not a graduate of the institution. This contradicted a previous response from the Registrar, Celine Nnebedum, who had confirmed Nnaji’s graduation but later recanted, stating that the university could not find his name on the 1985 graduation records.
Additionally, Nnaji admitted in a court affidavit that the university never issued him a degree certificate and that he had “never collected one.” In September, Nnaji filed a lawsuit against the Minister of Education, the National Universities Commission, UNN, and others, seeking to restrain the university from “tampering” with his academic records.
Legal Proceedings and Public Response
The case was heard on Monday, with Sebastian Hon (SAN) representing Nnaji, while E.M. Asogwa appeared for the university and its officials. The Minister of Education and the NUC, the first and second respondents, were not represented at the hearing.
Nnaji’s legal team challenged the Premium Times article, calling it damaging given the ongoing litigation over his academic records. He appealed to UNN to release his academic transcript, accusing it of “playing politics” with his academic records.
At a press briefing in Abuja on Monday, Nnaji, through his spokesperson, Dr. Robert Ngwu, expressed frustration that the university had continued to withhold his transcript despite what he described as “clear evidence” of his graduation. Nnaji insisted that he earned a BSc in Microbiology/Biochemistry with Second Class Honours (Lower Division) in 1985, arguing that the university had no justification to keep holding his records.
Nnaji also dismissed the allegations as a smear campaign allegedly sponsored by a sitting governor seeking to remove him from office. He accused the Vice Chancellor of being “economical with the truth” and acting under political influence.
Ongoing Political Context
Nnaji will be the eighth minister to exit President Tinubu’s cabinet since its inauguration on August 28, 2023. The biggest shake-up occurred on October 23, 2024, when the president sacked five ministers and reassigned 10 others while appointing seven new hands in what the presidency called an attempt to retool performance.
Portfolios affected included education, tourism, women affairs, youth development, and the minister of state for housing. The rejig also involved the merging or renaming of other ministries, including the ministry of Niger Delta Development, which became Regional Development.
Earlier, Labour Minister Simon Lalong quit in December 2023 to take up his Senate seat for Plateau South after a court ruling in his favor. Weeks later, in January 2024, Tinubu suspended the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, over questionable payments linked to the social safety-net system.
Although Edu denied any wrongdoing, she was investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in a probe that also saw the head of the social investment agency suspended.
