Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has urged for an independent and transparent probe into the academic and professional records of all members of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, saying it is the only way to cleanse Nigeria of the embarrassment caused by the ongoing Uche Nnaji saga.
In a statement personally signed on Wednesday, Atiku said the scandal once again exposes what he described as “a deep moral rot” at the core of the current government. He condemned what he called a deliberate attempt to disguise a national disgrace as a “voluntary resignation,” insisting that the development only reflects the “forgery-laden character” of the Tinubu administration.
According to him, Uche Nnaji should not have been permitted to resign quietly but should have been dismissed and prosecuted for falsification and deceit. “By allowing him to exit through the backdoor, this government has shown once more that it is a congregation of impostors and morally bankrupt individuals parading as leaders,” Atiku said.
He expressed disbelief that the Department of State Services, the same agency that blocked former Kaduna State Governor Nasir el-Rufai from ministerial clearance over alleged security concerns, had screened and cleared Nnaji. “The DSS deserves national scrutiny for this embarrassment. Their lack of due diligence has turned Nigeria into a laughingstock before the world,” he added.
Atiku argued that this incident is part of a broader pattern that starts from the very top. He accused President Tinubu of long-standing controversies surrounding his identity, age, and educational background, referencing the Chicago State University saga and what he called “contradictory claims under oath.”
“When a man of uncertain identity leads a country, deceit becomes the order of the day,” he stated. “Tinubu’s history of alleged forgery has now been normalized within government, creating a culture of falsehood that filters through every level of public service.”
He called for an open and independent inquiry into the qualifications and backgrounds of all cabinet members, starting with the president himself, arguing that Nigerians deserve to know the truth about those entrusted with national leadership.
Atiku stressed that until integrity is restored to governance, the nation will continue to suffer moral and economic decline. “The time has come to rescue Nigeria from deceit and restore honesty to public service,” he said.
