Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of institutionalizing deceit and moral decay following the resignation of Uche Nnaji, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, over alleged certificate forgery.
In a statement made available to The News Chronicle on Tuesday, Atiku said Nnaji’s exit exposed what he described as the “deep moral crisis” at the heart of the Tinubu government, alleging that the administration is “an assembly of forgers and impostors masquerading as public servants.”
“What should ordinarily be a matter of national shame is being disguised as a ‘voluntary resignation’ a desperate attempt to whitewash yet another scandal,” Atiku declared.
The former Vice President faulted the government for allowing Nnaji to resign instead of dismissing and prosecuting him for forgery and deceit.
He also berated the Department of State Services (DSS) for failing in its screening responsibility, noting that the same agency that disqualified Nasir el-Rufai over alleged security concerns cleared Nnaji.
“The DSS truly deserves our flowers for this national disgrace,” Atiku said mockingly. “Their failure of due diligence has made Nigeria an object of ridicule before the world.”
Atiku linked the incident to what he described as a long-standing pattern of deception within the Tinubu administration, alleging that it mirrors the President’s own history of “identity and certificate controversies.”
“From the Chicago State University saga to multiple contradictory claims under oath, the world has seen ample evidence that Nigeria is led by a man who has been unable to credibly defend his own academic records,” he stated.
According to him, “when a man of questionable identity leads a country, deception becomes the standard of governance,” adding that Tinubu’s alleged history of forgery and perjury has “institutionalized falsehood in public service.”
Atiku called for an independent and transparent investigation into the academic and professional credentials of all members of the Federal Executive Council, starting with President Tinubu himself.
“Nigerians deserve to know the truth about those who preside over their lives and resources,” he said, warning that without such cleansing, the country would continue to sink “deeper into moral decay, economic ruin, and global embarrassment.”
