The Impartial Nationwide Electoral Fee (INEC) has cleared a former Minister of Innovation, Science and Era, Uche Nnaji, to contest the 2027 governorship election in Enugu State.
Mr Nnaji faces a legal trial over certificates forgery on the Federal Prime Court docket in Abuja.
He resigned as minister on 7 October closing 12 months, 3 days after PREMIUM TIMES published an investigation revealing that the then-minister solid his College of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) stage and NYSC certificate, which he submitted to President Bola Tinubu and the Nigerian Senate all the way through his ministerial affirmation in 2023.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) later introduced an investigation into the previous minister’s certificate-forgery scandal.
The fee many times invited Mr Nnaji to return in for wondering. Nonetheless, he ignored the invitations, which precipitated the anti-graft company to first release a manhunt for him sooner than securing an arrest order in opposition to him.
Via 1 July, the anti-graft company arrested him at Nnamdi Azikiwe Global Airport, Abuja, as he arrived from Enugu on a chartered flight.
The fee later filed six-count fees of certificates forgery and cash laundering in opposition to him sooner than the Federal Prime Court docket.
Mr Nnaji was once first arraigned on 13 July. He pleaded no longer in charge to the fees and was once granted bail of N20 million.
The previous minister was once arraigned once more on 21 September sooner than the court docket adjourned the trial till 26 October.
Clearance as PDP governorship candidate
Within the INEC’s final list of governorship applicants for the 2027 election, Mr Nnaji was once cleared because the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Celebration (PDP) for Enugu State.
The previous minister is thirteenth at the ultimate listing the electoral frame launched on Saturday, signed through the fee’s Secretary, Rose Oriaran-Anthony.
His spokesperson, Robert Ngwu, is indexed as operating mate.
Mr Ngwu was once Mr Nnaji’s operating mate all the way through his failed 2023 governorship bid at the All Progressives Congress (APC) platform.
Solid certificate
Mr Nnaji many times denied forging his stage and NYSC certificates, regardless of mounting proof on the contrary, as PREMIUM TIMES’ investigation printed.
However in his submission to INEC for the 2027 governorship election, the previous minister unnoticed his disputed stage certificates. As an alternative, he submitted his West African Exam Council (WAEC) certificates as his instructional qualification.
His submission of the WAEC certificates raises elementary questions on his repeated claims of acquiring a UNN stage.
Background
In October 2023, PREMIUM TIMES started investigating Mr Nnaji’s educational information.
The then-minister had submitted his stage and NYSC certificate to President Tinubu and the Nigerian Senate all the way through his ministerial affirmation. He claimed he got some extent from UNN in 1985.
READ ALSO: Certificate Forgery: Court allows Uche Nnaji to travel abroad for medical treatment
Disturbed through the scrutiny, Mr Nnaji filed a swimsuit within the Federal Prime Court docket in Abuja to stop UNN and its Vice-Chancellor, Simon Ortuanya, from liberating his educational information.
Different defendants within the swimsuit incorporated the Minister of Schooling, the National Universities Commission, the college’s registrar, its former Performing Vice-Chancellor, Oguejiofo Ujam, and the College Senate.
Then again, the baby-kisser later implemented for an out-of-court agreement via his criminal staff.
Ahead of Mr Nnaji may just download a court docket injunction, Mr Ortuanya had already spoke back to a PREMIUM TIMES Freedom of Data (FOI) letter, confirming that Mr Nnaji had solid his UNN stage certificates.
The college registrar later corroborated this, indicating that despite the fact that Mr Nnaji was once admitted in 1981, he neither graduated nor was once issued a certificates.
NYSC government additionally disowned the release certificates within the then-minister’s ownership in keeping with a separate FOI letter.
Mr Nnaji resigned as minister 3 days after this newspaper printed the investigation.
In the meantime, in March, this newspaper exclusively reported that an investigative panel arrange through the Minister of Schooling, Tunji Alausa, showed that Mr Nnaji solid his certificate.
Mr Nnaji later moved from the ruling APC to the PDP. In overdue Would possibly, he emerged because the governorship candidate of the Nyesom Wike-backed PDP faction for the 2027 normal elections.
Studies point out that Mr Nnaji is looking for the governorship to secure immunity from prosecution.
In mid-June, a Federal Prime Court docket in Abuja ordered the ICPC to arrest Mr Nnaji.
Regardless of denying the order’s life, he filed an appeal against it on 18 June on the Court docket of Attraction in Abuja.
However the ICPC went forward to arrest him.
Uncover extra from Top rate Instances Nigeria
Subscribe to get the most recent posts despatched for your electronic mail.