Certificate scandal: Enugu govt behind blackmail campaign against me – Minister Uche Nnaji

The Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, has accused the Enugu State Government of orchestrating a smear campaign over allegations of certificate forgery, describing the controversy as a politically motivated attempt to tarnish his image ahead of the 2027 governorship election.

Speaking through his Technical Assistant, Dr. Robert Ngwu, in Abuja, the minister alleged that Governor Peter Mbah and his administration were behind what he called a “deliberate media blackmail” aimed at discrediting him and undermining his political prospects.

According to Ngwu, the recent reports questioning Nnaji’s University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) degree were fabricated and inconsistent with earlier official confirmation from the institution.

“This is an orchestrated plot by the Enugu State government to ensure that Uche Nnaji does not emerge as the APC governorship candidate in 2027,” Ngwu said.

He explained that a December 21, 2023 letter from UNN to journalist Samuel Ogundipe of People’s Gazette had verified Nnaji’s records as a 1985 graduate in Microbiology/Biochemistry, contrary to a later letter that some media outlets used to question the authenticity of the certificate.

“What changed between December 2023 and May 2025,” Ngwu stated, “is that two card-carrying members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) became Acting Vice-Chancellor and later substantive Vice-Chancellor of the university.”

Ngwu maintained that, by academic convention, the Registrar—and not the Vice-Chancellor—is the custodian of all examination and graduation records, describing the new intervention by the Vice-Chancellor as “political overreach.”

He further disclosed that despite a court order, the minister’s official request for his transcript from UNN has not been honoured.

Defending Nnaji’s integrity, Ngwu highlighted the minister’s long record of public service, including his previous roles as Commissioner for Education, Secretary to the State Government, and Director-General of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, before his current appointment as minister.

“When he was appointed, the DSS and other security agencies screened and cleared him after verifying his credentials.

“His reputation as a gentleman and technocrat speaks for itself,” Ngwu said.

He alleged that Governor Mbah’s political ambitions were at the root of the campaign.

“We have it on good authority that the governor plans to join the APC and sees the minister as a major obstacle to his second-term ambition.

“This is why he wants to discredit him early,” he claimed.

Ngwu urged the public to disregard what he described as politically driven falsehoods, insisting that Nnaji’s academic credentials and integrity remain intact.