The African Democratic Congress (ADC) is mocking President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for appointing into his cabinet an alleged certificate forger as the Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation, Uche Nnaji.
It said that the Minister’s continued retention despite the boiling scandal showed that the Tinubu administration was paying lip service to fighting corruption.
In a statement signed by Bolaji Abdullahi, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, ADC said: “At this point, the question that every Nigerian is asking is simple: If the Minister is not honourable enough to resign, why is the Tinubu administration still keeping him in office?
“By refusing to act, the Tinubu government and the APC are admitting their complicity in such fraudulent conduct at the highest levels of their government and making a mockery of their claims to fighting corruption.”
The scandal broke after media reports suggested that educational documents submitted for screening by the Minister were fake.
Buttressing the media, the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, from which he claimed to have graduated in 1985, has also said that Nnaji was never issued any certificate by the institution.
In addition, his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificates had been reportedly disowned by the organisation.
ADC said the party was not surprised that President Bola Tinubu had retained the Minister even after the allegations.
According to the opposition party, the Minister should be placed on immediate suspension, pending a full independent investigation/
ADC said should Nnaji be guilty as charged “he should not only be dismissed with ignominy, he should also face full prosecution for forgery and perjury.”
