By Cross Udo, Abuja
President Bola Tinubu has accepted the resignation of Geoffrey Uche Nnaji, Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, following allegations of certificate forgery and questions over his academic credentials —a controversy that has dominated public discourse in recent days.
The President’s decision was confirmed in a statement issued Tuesday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, who said the resignation had been accepted “with immediate effect.”
Nnaji, who was appointed to the Federal Executive Council in August 2023, conveyed his decision to step down in a letter addressed to President Tinubu earlier on Monday.
In the letter, he expressed gratitude to the President for the privilege of serving the nation, describing his exit as “a painful but necessary step to preserve the integrity of the administration.”
“I have been a target of relentless blackmail by political opponents who have sought to weaponise falsehoods to discredit me,” Nnaji said in his resignation letter. “I thank Mr President for his confidence and the opportunity to serve my country to the best of my ability.”
The Presidency, while acknowledging his resignation, commended Nnaji for his contributions to the Ministry of Innovation, Science, and Technology, and wished him well in his future endeavours.
“President Tinubu thanks Geoffrey Nnaji for his service to the nation and wishes him success in his future pursuits,” Onanuga stated.
*Allegations sparked calls for investigation
Nnaji’s resignation comes barely a week after human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, called for a full police investigation into alleged inconsistencies in the Minister’s academic records from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN).
Effiong had, during a televised interview, demanded that security agencies probe what he described as “grave irregularities that escaped scrutiny during screening.”
The development had triggered public outrage and renewed scrutiny over the government’s vetting process for political appointees. Sources within the Presidency said the Minister’s resignation was inevitable following the “integrity concerns” raised by civil society and legal advocates.
President Tinubu’s swift acceptance of Nnaji’s resignation, analysts say, underscores his administration’s zero-tolerance posture on issues that could erode public confidence in governance.
It also marks the second high-profile exit from the cabinet since its formation in 2023 — a development that highlights the President’s insistence on accountability among his appointees.
