Geoffrey Uche Nnaji, Nigeria’s Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, has resigned from office following allegations of certificate forgery.
The resignation was confirmed in a statement by Presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, who said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has accepted Nnaji’s decision to step down.
“President Tinubu has accepted the resignation of Geoffrey Uche Nnaji, the Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, following some allegations against him,” the statement read.
Nnaji, who was appointed by President Tinubu in August 2023, resigned through a letter sent to the President on Monday, October 7, thanking him for the opportunity to serve in his cabinet.
In his resignation letter, the former minister said he has become the target of political blackmail and claimed that the allegations were part of a plot by opponents to damage his reputation.
While Nnaji did not publicly deny the allegations in detail, he strongly suggested that his decision to step down was to avoid further distractions for the government.
“I have served this administration to the best of my ability, but the recent attacks on my person have made it necessary for me to take a step back,” Nnaji reportedly wrote in his letter.
The allegations against Nnaji have not yet been officially investigated or proven in court, but his resignation has already sparked fresh conversations about the screening and background checks of ministers before appointment.
Uche Nnaji’s exit marks the first ministerial resignation under President Tinubu’s administration, just over a year since the new cabinet was formed. Tinubu had unveiled his list of ministers in August 2023 after being sworn in as Nigeria’s 16th president in May of that year.
The President, according to his spokesperson, thanked Nnaji for his service and wished him success in his future pursuits.
Meanwhile, there is growing public interest in who will replace Nnaji at the Ministry of Innovation, Science, and Technology, a key sector in Tinubu’s push for digital transformation and technological development in the country.
