Atiku Slams Nnaji’s Resignation, Calls for Probe of Federal Cabinet Credentials

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has criticised the resignation of Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, describing it as an attempt to “whitewash yet another scandal” involving allegations of certificate forgery.

Nnaji resigned on Tuesday, following an investigative report by Premium Times, which alleged he presented forged academic and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificates during his ministerial screening in 2023. Both the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and the NYSC were reported to have disowned the credentials submitted.

Reacting via a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, Atiku, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said Nnaji should have been dismissed and prosecuted, rather than being allowed a quiet resignation.

“Tuesday’s resignation of Uche Nnaji has once again brought to light the deep moral crisis within this administration,” Atiku wrote. “What should ordinarily be a matter of national shame is now being disguised as a voluntary resignation—an attempt to whitewash yet another scandal that typifies the forgery-ridden character of this government.”

He added:

“Uche Nnaji should not have been allowed the courtesy of resignation. He should have been summarily dismissed and prosecuted for deceit and falsification. Allowing him to quietly exit through the backdoor only reinforces the image of a government populated by forgers, impostors, and morally bankrupt individuals masquerading as public servants.”

DSS Under Fire

Atiku also questioned the role of the Department of State Services (DSS) in Nnaji’s clearance process. He pointed out that the same agency had previously blocked the confirmation of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai over “security concerns”, yet cleared Nnaji despite alleged inconsistencies in his credentials.

“What makes this even more embarrassing is that the same DSS which screened out Mallam Nasir El-Rufai is the agency that cleared Uche Nnaji,” he said.

Call for Independent Probe

Atiku further alleged that the situation reflects a pattern of deceit from the top levels of government, and called for an independent investigation into the academic and professional qualifications of all Federal Executive Council members, including the President.

“Until this cleansing is done, Nigeria will continue to sink deeper into moral decay, economic ruin, and global embarrassment,” he warned.

As of press time, neither the Presidency nor the DSS had issued a response to Atiku’s remarks.