Fresh details have emerged about why a former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, is desperate to turn out to be governor regardless of a certificates forgery scandal hanging on his neck, PREMIUM TIMES reviews.
From forgery scandal to governorship ambition
Recall {that a} two-year painstaking investigation published 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 had resigned from the place as minister three days after this newspaper printed the investigation.
PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported how the previous minister quietly moved to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) underneath which he unsuccessfully contested within the 2023 governorship election in Enugu State.
On Monday, Mr Nnaji emerged because the governorship candidate of the Nyesom Wike-backed PDP faction forward of the 2027 common election.
Mr Nnaji is pushing to be governor in Enugu State in 2027 regardless of being underneath investigation over certificates forgery by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
PREMIUM TIMES exclusively reported in February that the ICPC started an investigation into Mr Nnaji’s forgery scandal.
Insiders had advised this newspaper that the previous minister might be prosecuted if the investigation exhibits that he really 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.
Real causes for ambition
Multiple dependable sources inside the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, Ministry of Education and even these shut to Mr Nnaji have knowledgeable PREMIUM TIMES of the the reason why the previous minister is desperate to turn out to be governor in 2027.
Some of the sources advised this newspaper that Mr Nnaji, who is conscious of ongoing ICPC investigation on his forgery scandal, is disturbed that the company might prosecute and get him jailed which might finally cease him from occupying public workplace once more.
Insiders knowledgeable PREMIUM TIMES that the previous minister is desperate to turn out to be governor so as to benefit from the immunity in opposition to imminent prosecution by the ICPC.
The 1999 Nigerian Constitution as amended supplies immunity for governors in opposition to prosecution.
Section 308 of the structure grants immunity from civil and felony proceedings to the serving president, vice-president, governors, and deputy governors.
Section 360 (1) (a – c) reads: “No civil or felony proceedings shall be instituted or continued in opposition to an individual to whom this part applies throughout his interval of workplace;
“A person to whom this section applies shall not be arrested or imprisoned during that period either in pursuance of the process of any court or otherwise; and No process of any court requiring or compelling the appearance of a person to whom this section applies, shall be applied for or issued.”
Federal govt’s determination on panel findings
Sources shut to Mr Nnaji additionally advised PREMIUM TIMES that the previous minister is desperately searching for to be governor as a result of he fears that the federal authorities would possibly resolve to comply with up with the findings by the Ministry of Education which confirmed that he certainly cast his diploma and NYSC certificates.
Mr Nnaji, in accordance to his associates, is troubled that the federal authorities might move the panel findings to the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) to proceed in opposition to him.
“He (Mr Nnaji) feels that his future is unsure with the certificates forgery scandal hanging on his neck.
“So he is thinking that if he becomes governor, at least for the first four years, he cannot be prosecuted because of the immunity he will enjoy,” one of many sources, who requested not to be named, stated.
“And he becomes governor and does everything to get his second term, so by eight years, all the people investigating him or prosecuting him will be out of power.”
Like federal govt, like Enugu govt
Insiders additional knowledgeable PREMIUM TIMES that Mr Nnaji is additionally nervous that the Enugu State Government might request a fiat to prosecute the previous minister provided that the offence of forgery was dedicated in UNN, a federal college in Enugu State.
This newspaper gathered that Mr Nnaji’s concern follows info that the DPP and the Enugu State Ministry of Justice are contemplating the potential of asking for fiat to prosecute the previous minister for the felony behaviour.
Sources shut to the previous minister stated these considerations have pressured him to desperately search to turn out to be governor of Enugu State in 2027.
For context, Section 211(1a-c), 2, and three of the Nigerian Constitution empowers any state’s attorney-general to institute, take over, and even discontinue already instituted felony proceedings in opposition to any individual in respect of any offence created by or underneath any legislation created by a state meeting.
Nigerian politicians who adopted related routes
There are many situations of Nigerian politicians whose fraud investigations and trials had been withdrawn upon assuming political positions the place they loved constitutional immunity.
For occasion, Bala Mohammed served as Nigeria’s Minister of Federal Capital Territory from April 2010 to May 2015.
In 2016, shortly after he exited workplace as minister, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arrested him for alleged financial crimes in extra of N1.6 trillion.
Mr Mohammed was subsequently arraigned for the alleged offences.
However, after he contested and gained the Bauchi State governorship election in 2019 underneath the PDP platform, the EFCC dropped the fraud trial in opposition to him, succumbing to the constitutional provision that accords absolute immunity from felony prosecution to an elected governor.
The Bauchi governor’s ongoing second time period in workplace will elapse by May 2027.
Earlier this month, he defected from the PDP to the Allied Peoples Movement, blaming the management disaster within the PDP which was exacerbated by a Supreme Court ruling that nullified the parallel conference performed by a rival faction of the get together.
Similarly, Theodore Orji served as governor of Abia State from 2007 to 2015.
Before then, Mr Orji was arrested by the EFCC in early 2007 whereas serving because the chief of employees to then-outgoing Abia State Governor, Orji Kalu.
He spent over 90 days in detention, cut up between an EFCC cell and Kirikiri Maximum Security Prison over allegations of conspiracy and the laundering of billions of naira belonging to the Abia State Government.
READ ALSO: 2027: Despite forgery scandal, ex-minister Uche Nnaji emerges PDP governorship candidate
The politician was nonetheless held in custody when he emerged because the governorship candidate of the now defunct Progressive Peoples Alliance.
Due to his incarceration, he was unable to marketing campaign in any respect forward of the overall election though the then-governor Orji Kalu campaigned on his behalf.
Mr Orji was nonetheless being held on the EFCC cell when the Independent National Electoral Commission declared him winner of the April 2007 governorship election in Abia, making him the primary Nigerian governor to win an election from jail.
Following his election victory, the Court of Appeal granted him bail which prompted him to be launched simply in time to be formally sworn in because the governor of Abia State on 29 May 2007.
The EFCC withdrew Mr Orji’s title from the lively felony expenses on the time to enable him to govern after he gained constitutional immunity underneath Section 308 of the Nigerian Constitution upon taking his oath of workplace.