Ex-Minister Geoffrey Nnaji has denied forgery allegations and claimed that his resignation is not an admission of guilt.
NewsOnline Nigeria reports that Nigeria’s former Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Geoffrey Uche Nnaji, has denied any wrongdoing amid mounting allegations of certificate forgery, insisting that his resignation from office was a personal and principled decision, not an admission of guilt.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Nnaji said the matter was sub judice (under judicial consideration), stressing that he would refrain from public commentary out of respect for due process.
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“My decision to step aside is therefore a personal choice—not an admission of guilt, but a principled decision to respect the sanctity of due process and to preserve the integrity of the judicial proceedings currently before the court. In the end, justice will prevail, and history will vindicate the just,” he said.
Nnaji Alleges Political Witch-Hunt
The former minister, who was appointed in August 2023, formally tendered his resignation in a letter to President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday, thanking him for the opportunity to serve.
In his statement, Nnaji accused political opponents of orchestrating a “malicious campaign of falsehood” against his person and office across multiple media platforms.
“Over the past week, there has been an orchestrated, sustained campaign of falsehood and politically motivated attacks against my integrity,” he said.
“As someone who has spent more than five decades building a reputation anchored on hard work and service to humanity, I cannot allow these distractions to overshadow the noble objectives of this administration.”
Presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga confirmed Tinubu’s acceptance of Nnaji’s resignation, acknowledging his contributions to Nigeria’s innovation and technology drive, especially in digital research and indigenous technology development.
Court Case Over Certificate Controversy
According to Nairametrics, Nnaji has filed a lawsuit at the Federal High Court, Abuja, against the Minister of Education, National Universities Commission (NUC), University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), and its Vice Chancellor, Prof. Simon Ortuanya, among others.
The case, which concerns Nnaji’s academic records, is scheduled for hearing on November 10, 2025.
The controversy stems from reports that UNN disowned the Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) certificate Nnaji submitted during his ministerial screening in 2023. The university stated that while Nnaji was admitted in 1981, there was no record of his graduation or issuance of a degree certificate.
A letter dated October 2, 2025, signed by the Vice Chancellor, read in part:
“We are unable to confirm that Mr. Geoffrey Uchechukwu Nnaji graduated from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, in July 1985, as there are no records of his completion of study. The University did not and could not have issued the purported certificate in July 1985.”
This position contradicted the university’s earlier response to People’s Gazette in December 2023, in which the Registrar, Celine Nnebedum, stated that Nnaji did graduate in 1985. The university has since retracted that statement, deepening the dispute now before the court.
Background and Public Reactions
Nnaji, who briefly led Nigeria’s innovation and science ministry, was known for promoting local inventions and digital transformation policies. Earlier this year, he announced the government’s controversial plan to ban the importation of solar panels, a move that drew criticism from industry experts.
His resignation follows weeks of public scrutiny and renewed calls for accountability over academic integrity in public service.
As the legal battle continues, analysts say the case could set a major precedent for verifying academic claims among political officeholders in Nigeria.
