Tinubu Accepts Resignation Of Nnaji, Minister Of Innovation

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has accepted the resignation of Geoffrey Uche Nnaji, Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, amidst a growing controversy surrounding the Minister’s academic credentials.

The resignation, effective today, follows accusations of political opponents tampering with university records in an attempt to discredit Nnaji.

President Tinubu appointed Nnaji in August 2023. But in a statement released today, Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, confirmed the resignation.

“President Tinubu has accepted the resignation of Geoffrey Uche Nnaji as Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology,” Onanuga stated.

“The President thanked him for his service and wished him well in future endeavors.”

Nnaji, in his resignation letter, reportedly thanked the President for the opportunity to serve Nigeria and claimed he had been the target of blackmail by political opponents.

The controversy surrounding Nnaji’s credentials from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), intensified yesterday when his spokesperson, Dr. Robert Ngwu, held a press briefing to address what he called a “deliberate misinformation” campaign.

Dr. Ngwu asserted that Nnaji graduated from UNN in July 1985 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Microbiology/Biochemistry, with Second Class (Honours) Lower Division, citing a 1985 Convocation Brochure and a December 2023 letter from the university as evidence.

The dispute stemmed from conflicting letters purportedly issued by UNN. While the December 2023 letter confirmed Nnaji’s graduation details, a subsequent letter from May 2025, allegedly from the university, claimed there were “no records” of the Minister’s graduation.

Dr. Ngwu attributed this discrepancy to a change in UNN’s leadership, alleging that the appointment of two members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) as Acting Vice Chancellor and Vice Chancellor, respectively, led to a politically motivated attempt to discredit the Minister.

The Minister, preempting potential tampering with his academic records, secured protective orders from the Federal High Court of Nigeria, Abuja, on September 22, 2025.

These orders included an injunction restraining the Vice Chancellor and management of UNN from tampering with the Minister’s records and a directive compelling the University to release his academic transcript.

Despite these court orders, Dr. Ngwu accused the Vice Chancellor of engaging in “cyber bullying and politically motivated media trial against Chief Uche Nnaji.”

The unfolding saga has raised concerns about potential political interference within academic institutions and the integrity of official records.

With Nnaji’s resignation, the legal battle between him and UNN, while likely to continue, now takes on a different dimension.

The controversy also highlights the increasingly fraught political landscape in Nigeria.