Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has called for an independent verification of certificates of all members of President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet.
On Wednesday, the opposition chieftain lamented that certificate forgery has become a state policy matter under Mr Tinubu, who himself has an unresolved certificate scandal, calling for independent verification of all cabinet members.
Mr Abubakar made this call in a statement on Thursday, against the backdrop of Mr Nnaji’s resignation following the Peoples Gazette’s exclusive report exposing his forged certificate and how the state police cleared him to become a minister.
“Tuesday’s resignation of Uche Nnaji, Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, has once again brought to light the deep moral crisis at the heart of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration. 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,” Mr Abubakar said.
He added, “I, therefore, call for an independent, transparent, and comprehensive investigation into the academic and professional credentials of all members of the Federal Executive Council, beginning with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu himself. Nigerians deserve to know the truth about those who preside over their lives and resources.”
The former vice-president said Mr Nnaji’s certificate scandal “is not isolated”.
“It is a reflection of a pattern, a rot that begins from the very top. The man who occupies the office of President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has for decades been enmeshed in controversies surrounding his identity, age, and academic records,” said Mr Abubakar, a former ally of the incumbent president. “From the Chicago State University saga to multiple contradictory claims under oath, the world has seen ample evidence that Nigeria today is led by a man who himself has been unable to credibly defend the authenticity of his own certificates.”
Referring to Mr Tinubu’s unresolved Chicago State University certificate scandal, Mr Abubakar said, “When a man of questionable identity leads a country, deception becomes the standard of governance. Tinubu’s personal history of alleged forgery and perjury has effectively institutionalized falsehood in public service. It is, therefore, unsurprising that his ministers and aides have taken after his example by falsifying documents, inflating records, and desecrating the moral foundation of our nation.”
Mr Abubakar also called for the prosecution of Mr Nnaji for certificate forgery. Then, he berated the State Security Service for its devious clearing of Mr Nnaji for appointment.
“What makes this even more embarrassing is that the same Department of State Services (DSS), which screened out Mallam Nasir el-Rufai for alleged “security concerns”, is the very agency that cleared this same character, Uche Nnaji.
“The DSS truly deserves our flowers for this national disgrace. Their failure of due diligence has made Nigeria an object of ridicule before the world and raises the question: how many more of such individuals are occupying sensitive positions in this government?” Mr Abubakar said.
Silent since The Gazette exposed how the SSS cleared Mr. Nnaji despite his fake certificates in June 2024, the presidency announced on Tuesday the resignation of the disgraced tech minister, amplifying his excuse that he was being blackmailed.
