Atiku Abubakar blasts FG over Uche Nnaji resignation, demands prosecution for certificate forgery and calls for independent probe of Tinubu’s cabinet

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has accused the Federal Government of shielding fraud within its ranks, following the abrupt resignation of the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, over alleged certificate forgery.

Also read: Atiku Abubakar denies stepping down in 2027 race claim

Nnaji stepped down on Tuesday after an investigation by Premium Times alleged that both his university degree and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate were forged.

The University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) and the NYSC reportedly denied issuing the credentials he presented during his 2023 ministerial screening.

In a strongly worded post on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, Atiku described the resignation as “an attempt to whitewash a national disgrace,” arguing that the minister should have been dismissed and prosecuted, not allowed to exit “quietly through the backdoor”.

“The resignation of Uche Nnaji… has once again exposed the deep moral crisis in this government. What should be a matter of national shame is now being disguised as a voluntary resignation,” Atiku wrote.

The **PDP presidential candidate in the 2023 elections condemned the government’s handling of the scandal, alleging that it reflects a broader pattern of forgery and deception.

“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,” Atiku said.

He further described the government as an “assembly of forgers, impostors, and morally bankrupt individuals masquerading as public servants.”

Atiku also questioned the role of the Department of State Services (DSS), which reportedly cleared Nnaji despite what he called “glaring discrepancies” in his academic and service credentials.

He contrasted this with the DSS’s previous decision to screen out former Kaduna Governor Nasir El-Rufai from the ministerial list over “security concerns.”

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

Linking the controversy to past allegations about President Bola Tinubu’s own academic records, Atiku called for an independent audit of the credentials of all members of the Federal Executive Council, including the President himself.

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

While critics say Atiku’s remarks are politically motivated ahead of the 2027 general elections, supporters argue that the issue raises legitimate concerns about integrity and transparency in governance.