The Presidency has stated that it will not take immediate action against the Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation, Uche Nnaji, who is facing allegations of certificate forgery, until the courts deliver their verdict on the matter.
Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, made the clarification on Monday while responding to inquiries about the escalating controversy surrounding the minister’s academic credentials.
“This matter is already in court. We should await the verdict of the court,” Onanuga told The Leadership in an interview.
The scandal intensified last week when the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, officially disowned the Bachelor of Science degree certificate allegedly submitted by Nnaji. In a letter dated October 2, 2025, and signed by Vice-Chancellor Prof. Simon Ortuanya, the institution confirmed that while Nnaji was admitted in 1981 to study Microbiology/Biochemistry, he never completed the programme.
“From every available record and information from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, we are unable to confirm that Mr Geoffrey Uchechukwu Nnaji, the current Minister of Science and Technology, graduated from the University of Nigeria in July 1985, as there are no records of his completion of study,” the letter stated.
The university went further, declaring that it “DID NOT and, consequently, COULD NOT have issued the purported certificate in July 1985 to Mr Geoffrey Uchechukwu Nnaji.”
The institution noted that this position was consistent with an earlier communication sent to the Public Complaints Commission on May 13, 2025.
In his filing before the Federal High Court, Nnaji acknowledged that he had not collected his degree certificate, attributing the delay to what he described as the university’s “non-cooperative attitude.” However, the minister maintains that he graduated in 1985, pointing to a previous letter from the university in December 2023 that had affirmed his graduation.
The contradictory statements from the university and the minister’s own admissions have fueled calls for his removal from office. Civil society organisations and opposition politicians have demanded that Nnaji step aside pending the conclusion of the case, arguing that his continued presence in the cabinet undermines public confidence in the government’s anti-corruption credentials.
Despite mounting pressure, the Presidency has refused to be drawn into the controversy. Onanuga emphasized that President Bola Tinubu’s administration will respect the judicial process and allow the courts to determine Nnaji’s fate before taking any administrative action.
The case remains pending before the Federal High Court, with observers closely watching to see whether the minister will retain his position or become the latest casualty of Nigeria’s ongoing battle against credential fraud in public office.
