The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has cleared a former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, to contest the 2027 governorship election in Enugu State.
Mr Nnaji faces a criminal trial over certificate forgery at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
He resigned as minister on 7 October last year, three days after PREMIUM TIMES published an investigation revealing that the then-minister forged his University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) degree and NYSC certificates, which he submitted to President Bola Tinubu and the Nigerian Senate during his ministerial confirmation in 2023.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) later launched an investigation into the former minister’s certificate-forgery scandal.
The commission repeatedly invited Mr Nnaji to come in for questioning. Still, he ignored the invitations, which prompted the anti-graft agency to first launch a manhunt for him before securing an arrest order against him.
By 1 July, the anti-graft agency arrested him at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, as he arrived from Enugu on a chartered flight.
The commission later filed six-count charges of certificate forgery and money laundering against him before the Federal High Court.
Mr Nnaji was first arraigned on 13 July. He pleaded not guilty to the charges and was granted bail of N20 million.
The former minister was arraigned again on 21 September before the court adjourned the trial until 26 October.
Clearance as PDP governorship candidate
In the INEC’s final list of governorship candidates for the 2027 election, Mr Nnaji was cleared as the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for Enugu State.
The former minister is 13th on the final list the electoral body released on Saturday, signed by the commission’s Secretary, Rose Oriaran-Anthony.
His spokesperson, Robert Ngwu, is listed as running mate.
Mr Ngwu was Mr Nnaji’s running mate during his failed 2023 governorship bid on the All Progressives Congress (APC) platform.
Forged certificates
Mr Nnaji repeatedly denied forging his degree and NYSC certificate, despite mounting evidence to the contrary, as PREMIUM TIMES’ investigation revealed.
But in his submission to INEC for the 2027 governorship election, the former minister omitted his disputed degree certificate. Instead, he submitted his West African Examination Council (WAEC) certificate as his educational qualification.
His submission of the WAEC certificate raises fundamental questions about his repeated claims of obtaining a UNN degree.
Background
In October 2023, PREMIUM TIMES began investigating Mr Nnaji’s academic records.
The then-minister had submitted his degree and NYSC certificates to President Tinubu and the Nigerian Senate during his ministerial confirmation. He claimed he obtained a degree from UNN in 1985.
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Disturbed by the scrutiny, Mr Nnaji filed a suit in the Federal High Court in Abuja to prevent UNN and its Vice-Chancellor, Simon Ortuanya, from releasing his academic records.
Other defendants in the suit included the Minister of Education, the National Universities Commission, the university’s registrar, its former Acting Vice-Chancellor, Oguejiofo Ujam, and the University Senate.
However, the politician later applied for an out-of-court settlement through his legal team.
Before Mr Nnaji could obtain a court injunction, Mr Ortuanya had already responded to a PREMIUM TIMES Freedom of Information (FOI) letter, confirming that Mr Nnaji had forged his UNN degree certificate.
The university registrar later corroborated this, indicating that although Mr Nnaji was admitted in 1981, he neither graduated nor was issued a certificate.
NYSC authorities also disowned the discharge certificate in the then-minister’s possession in response to a separate FOI letter.
Mr Nnaji resigned as minister three days after this newspaper published the investigation.
Meanwhile, in March, this newspaper exclusively reported that an investigative panel set up by the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, confirmed that Mr Nnaji forged his certificates.
Mr Nnaji later moved from the ruling APC to the PDP. In late May, he emerged as the governorship candidate of the Nyesom Wike-backed PDP faction for the 2027 general elections.
Reports indicate that Mr Nnaji is seeking the governorship to secure immunity from prosecution.
In mid-June, a Federal High Court in Abuja ordered the ICPC to arrest Mr Nnaji.
Despite denying the order’s existence, he filed an appeal against it on 18 June at the Court of Appeal in Abuja.
But the ICPC went ahead to arrest him.
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