•Minister Uche Nnaji and Governor Peter Mbah
The Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Chief Geoffrey Uche Nnaji, has accused the Governor of Enugu State, Peter Mbah, of masterminding allegations of certificate forgery leveled against him.
Speaking in Abuja through his spokesperson, Dr. Robert Ngwu, the Minister described the allegation as a politically motivated witch-hunt aimed at discrediting him ahead of the governor’s alleged plan to join the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), reports The Guardian.
“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 alleged.
An online platform had earlier reported that Nnaji forged the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) certificate he submitted to President Bola Tinubu and the National Assembly during his ministerial screening.
Reacting, the minister urged the UNN authorities to uphold their integrity and resist political manipulation by reaffirming the authenticity of their official records.
“This is not just about one man’s academic record; it is about protecting truth, preserving institutional honour, and ensuring that no university in Nigeria becomes a pawn in partisan politics,” he stated.
Ngwu maintained that Nnaji graduated from UNN in July 1985 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Microbiology/Biochemistry, a fact reflected in the university’s official records and its 1985 convocation brochure.
He cited a letter issued by the university on December 21, 2023, during Nnaji’s ministerial screening, confirming that “Mr. Geoffrey Uchechukwu Nnaji, with registration number 1981/30725, was admitted in 1981 to study Microbiology/Biochemistry and graduated in July 1985 with a Bachelor of Science, Second Class (Honours) Lower Division.”
According to Ngwu, the letter remains the only authentic communication from UNN on the matter.
He, however, alleged that another letter surfaced in May 2025, purportedly from the university, claiming that there were no records of Nnaji’s graduation — a development he attributed to political interference.
He further accused the Vice Chancellor of UNN of being a card-carrying member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) allegedly acting on the governor’s instruction to tarnish the Minister’s image.
Ngwu also disclosed that the minister had approached the court when he got wind of attempts to tamper with his academic file.
He said that on September 22, the court granted an injunction restraining the university’s management from altering his records and issued an order of mandamus compelling the release of his academic transcript — which, according to him, the school has refused to obey.
“Rather than adhering to the valid court order, the Vice Chancellor, a lawyer by profession, resorted to cyberbullying and politically motivated media trial against the minister,” Ngwu said.
He added that the entire episode was politically driven: “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.”
