The resignation of Geoffrey Nnaji, the Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, has peeled back yet another layer of rot in Nigeria’s political establishment. His decision to quit President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet amid allegations of certificate forgery should not be dismissed as a personal misfortune. It should serve as a clarion call to others in government who have skeletons of fake certificates hidden in their cupboards. They, too, must resign, because deception has no place in public service.
For too long, Nigeria’s democracy has been corrupted by fraudsters in fine clothing, men and women who parade themselves as leaders, whereas they are not, and not even more qualified academically than some, for their personal guards and special assistants assigned to their high offices.
For too long, Nigeria’s democracy has been corrupted by fraudsters in fine clothing, men and women who parade themselves as leaders while their academic records are built on lies. Certificate forgery has become an unspoken epidemic, an assault on truth and a betrayal of the very foundation of democratic governance. How can a society progress when its leaders ascend to power through deceit? When those entrusted with shaping policy cannot even defend the authenticity of their own education?
What makes this plague particularly tragic is its normalization. Forgery scandals no longer shock Nigerians; they now evoke resignation. Each time a politician is exposed; the system simply absorbs the embarrassment and moves on. That culture of impunity must end. Nnaji’s resignation, whether by choice or compulsion, should be the beginning of a cleansing process across all tiers of government.
Public office is a trust, not a trophy for impostors. Democracy demands honesty, not because it is convenient, but because it is sacred. When politicians forge certificates, they commit moral perjury. They cheat the nation, mock the educational system, and ridicule every young Nigerian who burns midnight oil to earn a legitimate qualification. This is not just dishonesty; it is anti-democratic sabotage.
Nnaji’s resignation should therefore be treated as a moral turning point. Those who know that their credentials cannot stand public scrutiny must step aside before the truth drags them into disgrace. Integrity is not negotiable. If they have any respect left for the institutions they represent, they should do what Nnaji has done; bow out.
At the same time, Nigeria’s vetting and oversight mechanisms must stop treating certificate verification as an afterthought. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Federal Civil Service Commission, and other agencies must make background checks a rigorous, transparent, and continuous process. Universities must also stop shielding powerful figures from exposure, the truth must be allowed to breathe, no matter whose ox is gored.
Equally important is the need for a cultural shift. Our society’s obsession with titles and degrees has become toxic. Too many Nigerians worship credentials instead of competence, and that obsession has created fertile ground for forgery. We must begin to value character above certificates, and integrity above image. Leadership is not about how many degrees one claims to have, but about the truth behind those claims.
President Tinubu must seize this moment to send a strong message. A government that tolerates deceit at the top cannot inspire confidence among the governed. If he truly intends to restore integrity to public life, he should order a full audit of ministers, appointees, and senior officials. Those found wanting should not only resign but face legal consequences.
The cupboard of deceit in Nigeria’s political class is overflowing, and the stench is unbearable. The time for half measures is over. Nnaji’s resignation has set the example, the rest must now follow. Those with skeletons of fake certificates in their cupboards should step down before the truth does it for them. Nigeria deserves leaders whose qualifications are real, whose records are clean, and whose consciences are intact.
Until then, the nation will continue to live under the shadow of hypocrisy, where those who lied their way into office pretend to lecture citizens on integrity. The time to end that charade is now.
The Nigerian people have endured enough hypocrisy from their leaders. For decades, citizens have been deceived, short-changed, and mocked by those who swore oaths of office on the altar of integrity but turned around to build their careers on falsehoods. Every election season, the same political class that preaches accountability ends up riddled with scandals, from forged certificates to falsified age declarations and dubious academic claims. These are not harmless infractions; they are deliberate acts of deception that insult the collective intelligence of the electorate. Nigerians have watched, in painful silence, as liars occupy public offices while honest, hardworking citizens are told to “wait for their turn.” The result is a dangerous erosion of public trust, a situation where many no longer believe that sincerity or merit can get one to power.
If democracy is to mean anything in this country, it must begin with truth. Democracy is not sustained by slogans or party flags; it is sustained by the moral contract between leaders and the led. That contract collapses when those in power lie about who they are or how they got there. When a man forges a certificate to qualify for public office, he is not just cheating a system, he is defrauding a nation. He is desecrating the very principles of fairness and justice that democracy is built upon. Truth is not optional in governance; it is the oxygen that keeps democracy alive. Without it, everything else, elections, policies, constitutions, becomes a charade.
Integrity, not forgery, should define public office. The question every Nigerian must now ask is simple: what does it say about us as a nation when fraudsters can rule over us with impunity? A leader who falsifies credentials cannot be trusted to tell the truth in matters of state. Such a person is unfit to make laws, execute policies, or represent a people who expect honesty. Leadership is not a hiding place for liars; it is a sacred duty that demands transparency. When integrity dies in leadership, governance becomes a performance, and the people become spectators in their own democracy.
The cupboard of deceit is full, and the stench can no longer be hidden. Each new scandal adds to the rot, exposing the moral decay at the heart of Nigeria’s politics. But the cleansing must begin now, not tomorrow, not after the next election, not after another court ruling. It must begin with courageous leadership and a citizenry that refuses to be complicit in deceit. Those who forged their way into power must be made to leave the same way they came, through exposure and disgrace. The Nigerian people deserve a government that smells of truth, not one reeking of forgery. It is time to clean out the cupboard and reclaim the integrity of public life once and for all.
