Certificate forgery scandal: UNN records expose Minister Nnaji as Mbah denies political witch-hunt

Nigeria’s political landscape has been rattled by fresh revelations over the academic credentials of the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Geoffrey Nnaji, after official documents from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), indicated he did not graduate from the institution as he has long claimed.

The scandal, which broke through an investigative report by PREMIUM TIMES, has since spiralled into a heated war of words between the embattled minister and Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, amid accusations of political sabotage ahead of the 2027 elections.

UNN records puncture graduation claim

According to the investigation,  Nnaji gained admission into UNN in 1981 to study microbiology/biochemistry but failed to complete his programme. Despite this, he has consistently claimed that he graduated with a second-class lower degree in July 1985 and participated in the mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

Documents obtained by PREMIUM TIMES revealed that Nnaji failed a crucial terminal virology course, MCB 431AB, and struggled unsuccessfully to retake it.

In a letter dated 8 November 1985, four months after the date he claimed to have graduated, the university registrar informed him that he had failed the September 1985 supplementary examination in the course and could only re-sit in June 1986 upon payment of a ₦4 fee.

Nnaji, in a 3 January 1986 reply, confirmed payment and expressed his intention to retake the exam. Yet he failed to appear. On 19 May 1986, he wrote again, attributing his absence to ill health and requesting another opportunity during the September 1986 supplementary examinations.

These correspondences, the report noted, made it impossible for him to have graduated in July 1985 as claimed, according to the report.

A fresh confirmation letter dated 2 October 2025, signed by UNN Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Simon Ortuanya, stated unequivocally that Mr Nnaji “did not return to complete the outstanding course and therefore did not graduate.”

Minister fights back, blames Mbah

The revelations have thrown Nnaji into the eye of a political storm. The minister, a former APC governorship candidate in Enugu who placed fourth in the 2023 polls, has denied the allegations, dismissing them as a “politically motivated witch-hunt” allegedly orchestrated by Governor Peter Mbah.

Speaking through his spokesperson, Dr Robert Ngwu, in Abuja on October 6, Mr Nnaji accused the governor of using the forgery allegations to undermine him ahead of the 2027 elections.

“The governor had given a new name to all his problems – Chief Uche Geoffrey Nnaji,” Dr Ngwu said, insisting that the allegations were rooted in political rivalry rather than fact.

Ngwu also claimed that the minister had formally applied for his academic transcript from UNN, but that the university failed to release it despite a court order. “We have information that the minister’s file was kept under lock and key in the vice-chancellor’s office,” he alleged.

He further downplayed discrepancies in Nnaji’s names, arguing that Igbo cultural usage often allows for interchangeable forms such as “Uchenna” and “Uchechukwu.”

Enugu government distances itself

But the Enugu State Government has firmly rejected any link to the scandal. Chukwuemeka Nebo, Director of Information in the Ministry of Information and Communication, dismissed Mr Nnaji’s claims as “baseless” and said the minister must clear his name without dragging the state government into the controversy.

“The Enugu State Government dissociates itself completely from these allegations. The honourable minister must carry his own cross and clear his name before Nigerians, instead of dragging the government into issues that are entirely personal to him,” Mr Nebo said.

He also criticised the minister for avoiding direct engagement with journalists after inviting them to Abuja. “Who can narrate Chief Nnaji’s UNN story better than him? Why invite the media only to outsource the conference to proxies who could not answer critical questions?”

Growing scrutiny

Mr Nebo raised pointed questions over Mr Nnaji’s record:

Did he present a degree certificate from UNN during his Senate screening in 2023?

Why did he, in a Federal High Court filing, admit he was never issued a certificate while still claiming to have graduated?

Why was he still applying to retake a failed virology course in 1985–86 if he had already graduated in 1985?

These questions, Nebo said, go to the heart of whether Mr Nnaji misrepresented his academic history before assuming ministerial office.

A scandal with 2027 implications

The controversy has widened beyond questions of academic integrity into political rivalry in Enugu. Mr Nnaji, still seen as a potential challenger in future contests, and Governor Mbah, who is consolidating power ahead of a likely second-term bid, are now locked in a battle that blends personal credibility with political ambition.