The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) faction loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has cleared the speedy previous Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, to contest within the PDP’s governorship major election in Enugu State forward of the state’s 2027 governorship election, regardless of Mr Nnaji’s certificates forgery scandal.
The PDP faction cleared Mr Nnaji throughout the social gathering’s governorship screening train in Abuja on Thursday, PREMIUM TIMES gathered.
The PDP faction’s governorship screening committee was chaired by Ahmed Makarfi, a former governor of Kaduna State and former chairperson of the social gathering.
Apart from the previous minister, a famend entrepreneur, Samsom Nnamani, was additionally screened and efficiently cleared to participate within the PDP forthcoming governorship major election.
Mr Nnaji’s clearance by the PDP for his governorship bid got here regardless of the certificates forgery scandal.
A painstaking two-year investigation revealed by PREMIUM TIMES in October 2025 uncovered how the then-minister cast his diploma and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificates, which he submitted to President Bola Tinubu and the Nigerian Senate throughout his ministerial affirmation.
He resigned from the place as minister three days after this newspaper revealed the investigation.
PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that the previous minister quietly moved from the APC to the PDP, below which he unsuccessfully contested the 2023 governorship election in Enugu State.
Moreover, Mr Nnaji is pushing to change into governor of Enugu State in 2027 regardless of being below investigation by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for certificates forgery.
PREMIUM TIMES exclusively reported in February that the ICPC started an investigation into Mr Nnaji’s forgery scandal.
Insiders had instructed this newspaper that the previous minister might be prosecuted if the investigation reveals he actually cast his credentials.
Meanwhile, in March, this newspaper additionally exclusively reported that an investigative panel arrange by Nigeria’s Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, discovered that Mr Nnaji certainly cast his diploma and NYSC certificates.
Group kicks
A civil society organisation, Defence for Democracy, has criticised the PDP faction for screening and clearing Mr Nnaji for the social gathering’s governorship primaries in Enugu State.
In an announcement on Saturday by its National President, Emeka Nwachukwu, the organisation mentioned the PDP could jeopardise its probabilities within the Enugu governorship election by clearing Mr Nnaji to contest its primaries regardless of the certificates forgery scandal.
The organisation warned that the ruling All Progressives Congress might depend on the forgery scandal to problem and overturn any electoral victory secured by Mr Nnaji in court docket.
It famous that, whereas a court docket of regulation had not confirmed Mr Nnaji’s involvement within the forgery scandal, the PDP has an ethical obligation to train warning earlier than clearing him to contest the governorship.
The organisation prompt that, with the certificates forgery scandal hanging over the previous minister, his ambition raises questions on integrity and public belief in management, stressing that “leadership must be built on trust, integrity, and credibility.”
“The people of Enugu State deserve leaders whose records can withstand public scrutiny without fear or controversy,” it mentioned.
The organisation harassed that its intervention was guided by its dedication to selling good governance and supporting people of integrity.
“From our findings, there are individuals who symbolize an important future, and as an organisation, we stand for good governance, and when our findings throw up folks of impeccable character, we naturally step in to make sure that they excel.
“We therefore find it strange that people can move from controversy to ambition without addressing the questions hanging over their names,” it acknowledged.
The group requested the previous minister to clear his title earlier than pursuing his governorship ambition, sustaining that the certificates forgery scandal and public experiences regarding his credentials had been too weighty to disregard.
It urged the nationwide management of the PDP to right away intervene and save the social gathering from embarrassment.
“We are watching events in Enugu and other parts of the country, and we would have issued this statement to congratulate the Enugu state chapter of the party if it screened out the former minister, because there is a moral burden there which is far beyond what the courts might eventually pronounce,” the organisation mentioned.
Background
In October 2023, PREMIUM TIMES started investigating Mr Nnaji’s educational data.
The then-minister had submitted a level and NYSC certificates to President Tinubu and the Nigerian Senate throughout his ministerial affirmation in 2023.
He claimed he obtained a level certificates from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), the place he purportedly graduated in 1985.
Apparently disturbed by the scrutiny, Mr Nnaji filed a go well with on the Federal High Court in Abuja to dam each UNN and its vice-chancellor, Simon Ortuanya, a professor, from releasing his educational data.
Apart from the UNN and its vice-chancellor, the minister of training, the National Universities Commission, the college’s registrar, a former UNN Acting Vice-Chancellor, Oguejiofor Ujam, and the college Senate had been listed as defendants within the go well with.
However, the politician, by means of his authorized group, lately utilized for an out-of-court settlement.
Before the then-minister might acquire an injunction from the court docket, Mr Ortuanya had responded to PREMIUM TIMES’ Freedom of Information (FOI) letter, confirming that Mr Nnaji had cast his UNN diploma certificates.
The UNN registrar would shortly thereafter corroborate Mr Ortuanya’s place, stating that though Mr Nnaji was admitted to the college in 1981, he neither graduated nor acquired any certificates.
NYSC authorities, in response to a separate FOI letter from PREMIUM TIMES, had disowned the discharge certificates in possession of the then-minister.
Mr Nnaji resigned from his place as minister three days after this newspaper revealed the investigation exposing how he cast his diploma and NYSC certificates.
Many Nigerians had referred to as for Mr Nnaji’s prosecution, sustaining that his resignation was insufficient given his violations of varied Nigerian legal guidelines, together with the Criminal Code Act.
Three months in the past, a authorized practitioner, Liborous Oshoma, criticised the Nigerian authorities for failing to prosecute Mr Nnaji over the certificates forgery scandal, sustaining that folks like the previous minister “should be prosecuted and banned from holding public office to serve as a deterrent to others.”