Nnaji’s resignation an attempt to whitewash another scandal – Atiku

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has described the resignation of the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, as an “attempt to whitewash yet another scandal”.

Nnaji resigned on Tuesday after an investigation by Premium Times alleged that he submitted forged academic and NYSC certificates to the Senate during his ministerial screening in 2023.

Both the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and the National Youth Service Corps reportedly disowned the documents.

Reacting on Wednesday in a post on X, Atiku said the minister should have been dismissed and prosecuted rather than being allowed to “quietly exit through the backdoor.”

He said, “Tuesday’s resignation of Uche Nnaji, Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, has once again brought to light the deep moral crisis … 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.

“Let the truth be told: Uche Nnaji should not have been allowed the courtesy of resignation. He should have been summarily dismissed and prosecuted for deceit and falsification. By permitting him to quietly exit through the backdoor… again demonstrated that it is an assembly of forgers, impostors, and morally bankrupt individuals masquerading as public servants.”

He also criticised the Department of State Services, alleging that the same agency that disqualified former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, from ministerial screening over security concerns had cleared Nnaji despite alleged discrepancies in his credentials.

He stated, “What makes this even more embarrassing is that the same Department of State Services which screened out Mallam Nasir el-Rufai for alleged ‘security concerns’ is the very agency that cleared this same character, Uche Nnaji.”

The former vice president, who was the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2023 election, linked the controversy to what he described as a pattern of deceit “that begins from the very top,” referencing past controversies surrounding Tinubu’s academic and identity records.

He called for an independent investigation into the credentials of all members of the Federal Executive Council, including the President, insisting that Nigerians deserved to know the truth about those in public office.

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

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