Our Reporter, Abuja
Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 general elections, Atiku Abubakar, has condemned what he described as the growing culture of forgery and deceit within President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
Reacting to the recent resignation of the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, over alleged certificate forgery, Atiku said the development had once again exposed the “deep moral crisis at the heart of the Tinubu government.”
In a statement personally signed by him and titled “Forgery as State Policy: Tinubu, His Cabinet, and the DSS Must Be Held Accountable,” the former Vice President said the resignation, presented as voluntary, was a deliberate attempt by the Presidency to cover up yet another scandal that typifies the “forgery-ridden character” of the current administration.
“What should ordinarily be a matter of national shame is now being disguised as a ‘voluntary resignation,’ an attempt to whitewash yet another scandal,” Atiku said.
“Uche Nnaji should not have been allowed the courtesy of resignation. He should have been summarily dismissed and prosecuted for deceit and falsification.”
The former Vice President accused the Department of State Services (DSS) of dereliction of duty for clearing Nnaji during ministerial screening, despite its much-publicized “security concerns” over some nominees.
“The same DSS which screened out Mallam Nasir el-Rufai is the very agency that cleared Uche Nnaji,” Atiku noted.
“Their failure of due diligence has brought Nigeria into ridicule before the world and raises the question of how many more of such individuals are occupying sensitive positions in this government.”
He argued that the incident was not isolated but symptomatic of a wider pattern of deceit and forgery that emanates from the highest level of government.
“This rot begins from the very top. The man who occupies the office of President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has for decades been enmeshed in controversies surrounding his identity, age, and academic records,” Atiku stated.
“From the Chicago State University saga to multiple contradictory claims under oath, Nigerians have seen ample evidence that the country is led by a man who himself has been unable to credibly defend the authenticity of his own certificates.”
Atiku maintained that Tinubu’s personal history of alleged forgery and perjury had “effectively institutionalized falsehood in public service,” adding that “his ministers and aides have taken after his example by falsifying documents, inflating records, and desecrating the moral foundation of the nation.”
He, therefore, demanded a “comprehensive, transparent, and independent investigation into the academic and professional credentials of all members of the Federal Executive Council, beginning with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu himself.”
“Nigerians deserve to know the truth about those who preside over their lives and resources,” Atiku said.
“Until this cleansing is done, Nigeria will continue to sink deeper into moral decay, economic ruin, and global embarrassment.”
He concluded by calling for urgent action to “rescue the country from the grip of deceit and restore integrity to public life.”
