Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has called for a comprehensive investigation into the academic and professional certificates of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and all members of his cabinet.
Atiku made the call on Wednesday in a statement posted on his official X handle, following the resignation of the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji. Nnaji resigned after a Premium Times investigation revealed that he did not complete his university education and had submitted forged academic and NYSC certificates during his ministerial screening.
The revelation has sparked widespread outrage and raised questions about the integrity of Nigeria’s vetting process for political appointments.
In his statement titled “Forgery as State Policy: Tinubu, His Cabinet, and the DSS Must Be Held Accountable,” Atiku described Nnaji’s resignation as an attempt to mask what he termed “a national disgrace.”
He criticised the Department of State Services (DSS) for clearing Nnaji during the screening process, accusing the agency of negligence and failure in due diligence.
“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. “By permitting him to quietly exit through the backdoor, the Tinubu administration has once again demonstrated that it is an assembly of forgers, impostors, and morally bankrupt individuals masquerading as public servants.”
Atiku also referenced the DSS’s earlier decision to screen out former Kaduna State governor, Nasir el-Rufai, on “security grounds,” saying the same agency’s clearance of Nnaji was “a national disgrace.”
The 2023 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate claimed that the controversy reflects a deeper moral crisis within the Tinubu administration, alleging that “the rot begins from the very top.”
He said, “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. 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.”
Atiku, therefore, demanded an independent and transparent probe into the academic credentials of all Federal Executive Council members, beginning with President Tinubu.
“Nigerians deserve to know the truth about those who preside over their lives and resources. Until this cleansing is done, Nigeria will continue to sink deeper into moral decay, economic ruin, and global embarrassment,” he added.
