The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s handling of the certificate forgery scandal involving former Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Geoffrey Nnaji, insisting that forgery is a criminal act that must be prosecuted, not pardoned.
In a statement on Wednesday signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party said merely accepting Nnaji’s resignation was “weak and disappointing.
He added that it shows the All Progressives Congress (APC) is not serious about fighting corruption.
“By merely accepting the disgraced minister’s resignation instead of taking a firm action, President Tinubu has created the unfortunate impression that he is sympathetic to such misconduct,” the ADC said.
“It is shocking that the minister was allowed to step down quietly after openly admitting that his certificates were fake. This sends a terrible message to Nigerians, especially the youth, that dishonesty in public service goes unpunished.”
The party noted that both the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) had officially disowned the certificates Nnaji presented for his ministerial appointment.
“By merely accepting the minister’s resignation, President Tinubu has shown that his administration is willing to let corrupt officials off the hook without consequence,” the ADC said.
“He has failed to set an example that dishonesty will not be tolerated among those who serve under him. As we have stated before, this is not an isolated case. it reflects a disturbing pattern that has defined the APC government since its inception.
The ADC noted that the APC has repeatedly been linked to certificate scandals, making dishonesty a defining feature of its administration and shielding individuals with questionable integrity.
It added that if President Tinubu cannot act decisively in such a clear case, Nigerians have little reason to trust his government’s commitment to genuinely fighting corruption.
“As a party, we therefore call on relevant law enforcement agencies to pursue an independent investigation into the matter, noting that resignation does not erase criminal liability. Forgery is not a private offence, it is a crime. If found guilty, Mr. Nnaji should be prosecuted in accordance with the law. Anything less will amount to a cover-up,” the statement concluded.