Certificate Forgery: Atiku Says Tinubu, Cabinet, DSS Should Be Held Responsible.

Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has stated that President Bola Tinubu, his cabinet members, and the Department of State Services (DSS) must be held responsible for permitting someone accused of certificate forgery to hold office within the government.

This comment came in response to the resignation of Uche Nnaji, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology.

Nnaji submitted his resignation letter on Tuesday following allegations that he had forged his academic certificates.

Reacting to the development, Atiku issued a statement on Wednesday, asserting that “what should ordinarily be a matter of national shame is now being disguised as a ‘voluntary resignation,’ an attempt to whitewash yet another scandal that typifies the forgery-ridden character of this government.”

The former vice president maintained that Uche Nnaji “should not have been allowed the courtesy of resignation. He should have been summarily dismissed and prosecuted for deceit and falsification.”

He emphasised that “by permitting him to quietly exit through the back door, the Tinubu administration has once again demonstrated that it is an assembly of forgers, impostors, and morally bankrupt individuals masquerading as public servants.”

He further criticised the DSS, stating, “What makes this even more embarrassing is that the same Department of State Services (DSS) which screened out Mallam Nasir el-Rufai for alleged ‘security concerns’ is the very agency that cleared this same character, Uche Nnaji. The DSS truly deserves our flowers for this national disgrace.”

He added that “their failure of due diligence has made Nigeria an object of ridicule before the world and raises the question: how many more of such individuals are occupying sensitive positions in this government?”

Atiku stressed that this incident is not isolated but instead “a reflection of a pattern, a rot that begins from the very top”. He claimed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu “has for decades been enmeshed in controversies surrounding his identity, age, and academic records”.

Referring to past issues, he said, “From the Chicago State University saga to multiple contradictory claims under oath, the world has seen ample evidence that Nigeria today is led by a man who himself has been unable to credibly defend the authenticity of his own certificates.”

He concluded that “When a man of questionable identity leads a country, deception becomes the standard of governance. Tinubu’s personal history of alleged forgery and perjury has effectively institutionalised falsehood in public service. It is, therefore, unsurprising that his ministers and aides have taken after his example by falsifying documents, inflating records, and desecrating the moral foundation of our nation.”

Atiku called for “an independent, transparent, and comprehensive investigation into the academic and professional credentials of all members of the Federal Executive Council, beginning with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu himself”, insisting that “Nigerians deserve to know the truth about those who preside over their lives and resources”.