Former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, has clarified that the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and different respondents initiated strikes for an out-of-court settlement in the continuing authorized dispute over his educational information.
This was disclosed in an announcement made out there to PUNCH Online by the minister’s aide, Robert Ngwu, on Tuesday.
Ngwu clarified the courtroom proceedings earlier than Justice H. J. Yilwa confirmed that counsel for the third to seventh respondents, led by Chief Chris Uche (SAN), knowledgeable the courtroom that he had reached out to the applicant’s counsel, Wole Olanipekun (SAN), to discover the potential of settlement.
“Fresh facts have emerged at the Federal High Court in Abuja indicating that the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and other respondents, not Uche Nnaji, initiated moves for an out-of-court settlement in an ongoing legal dispute,” the assertion learn.
He mentioned Nnaji’s authorized staff solely acknowledged the dialogue and requested an adjournment to permit events to contemplate the proposal.
“The records are clear. The respondents initiated the process; the applicant merely responded,” Ngwu mentioned.
He added that opposite to stories suggesting that the previous minister initiated settlement strikes, the courtroom file confirmed in any other case.
Meanwhile, the courtroom refused an utility by the respondents searching for to regularise processes filed outdoors the prescribed timelines, noting that such points would solely be thought-about if settlement talks collapse.
Nnaji mentioned Justice Y. H. Yilwa subsequently adjourned the matter to July 8, 2026.
Recall the swimsuit was filed by Uche Nnaji, who’s asking the courtroom for an order compelling the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, to launch his educational information, amid a protracted controversy over the authenticity of his {qualifications}.
Nnaji served as Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology from August 16, 2023, till October 2025, when he resigned following allegations surrounding his educational and National Youth Service Corps certificates.
The controversy escalated after investigative stories alleged discrepancies in paperwork he submitted throughout his ministerial screening by the Senate, together with claims that his diploma and NYSC certificates have been questionable. The allegations triggered public debate, institutional scrutiny, and authorized actions.
The University of Nigeria, Nsukka had, in response to a Freedom of Information request, reportedly acknowledged that it had no file confirming that Nnaji graduated or that it issued the certificate in query.
The improvement additional deepened public curiosity in the matter.
Nnaji has constantly denied wrongdoing, insisting that he graduated from the establishment and that the allegations are politically motivated, sustaining that he’s searching for the discharge of his educational transcript to clear his identify.