Certificate scandal politically motivated, says Minister Nnaji, accuses Mbah

The Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Chief Geoffrey Uche Nnaji, has accused the Governor of Enugu State, Peter Mbah, of orchestrating allegations of certificate forgery against him for political reasons.

Speaking in Abuja through his spokesperson, Dr. Robert Ngwu, Nnaji described the allegations as a “witch-hunt” designed to tarnish his reputation and clear the path for Mbah’s alleged plan to defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

“Mbah wants Nnaji out of his way. He has given a new name to all his problems. He is seeking a second term in office, and the only way to achieve this is to get Nnaji out of the way. He wants to join APC, but knowing that Nnaji is there, he is not comfortable,” Ngwu said.

The minister has been accused by an online platform of forging the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) certificate he submitted to President Bola Tinubu and the National Assembly during his ministerial screening.

Nnaji, however, maintained that he graduated from UNN in July 1985 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Microbiology/Biochemistry, citing the university’s convocation brochure and a December 21, 2023 letter confirming his records during his ministerial screening.

Ngwu alleged that another letter surfaced in May 2025, claiming there were no records of Nnaji’s graduation, a move he attributed to political manipulation. He further accused the UNN Vice Chancellor of being a card-carrying member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) acting at the governor’s behest.

He also revealed that Nnaji had obtained a court injunction on September 22 restraining UNN from tampering with his academic file and compelling the release of his transcript, which he said the institution had yet to obey.

“Rather than adhering to a valid court order, the Vice Chancellor resorted to cyberbullying and a politically motivated media trial against the Minister,” Ngwu said.

He insisted the controversy was politically engineered: “It is increasingly clear that this entire issue is not about education or integrity but about political desperation disguised as academic inquiry. The timing, the sources, the false documents, and the paid narratives all point to a coordinated campaign to drag a reputable public servant into the mud of partisan politics.”