Fresh facts have emerged about why a former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, is desperate to become governor of Enugu State despite a certificate forgery scandal hanging over his neck.
From forgery scandal to governorship ambition
Recall that a two-year painstaking investigation published by PREMIUM TIMES in October 2025 uncovered how the then-minister forged his degree and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificates which he submitted to President Bola Tinubu and the Nigerian Senate during his ministerial confirmation.
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He resigned as minister three days after this newspaper published the investigation.
PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that the former minister quietly moved to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), under which he unsuccessfully contested the 2023 governorship election in Enugu State.
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On Monday, Mr Nnaji emerged as the governorship candidate of the Nyesom Wike-backed PDP faction ahead of the 2027 general election.
Mr Nnaji is pushing to become governor of Enugu State in 2027 despite being under investigation by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC for certificate forgery.
PREMIUM TIMES exclusively reported in February that the ICPC began an investigation into Mr Nnaji’s forgery scandal.
Insiders had told this newspaper that the former minister could be prosecuted if the investigation shows that he truly forged his credentials.
Meanwhile, in March, this newspaper also exclusively reported that an investigative panel set up by Nigeria’s Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, found that Mr Nnaji indeed forged his degree and NYSC certificates.
Real reasons for ambition
Multiple reliable sources within the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, the Ministry of Education, and even those close to Mr Nnaji have informed PREMIUM TIMES of the reasons the former minister is desperate to become governor in 2027.
Some of the sources told this newspaper that Mr Nnaji, who is aware of the ongoing ICPC investigation into his forgery scandal, is disturbed that the agency could prosecute him and get him jailed, which would ultimately prevent him from occupying public office again.
Insiders informed PREMIUM TIMES that the former minister is desperate to become governor to enjoy immunity against imminent prosecution by the ICPC.
The 1999 Nigerian Constitution, as amended, provides immunity for governors against prosecution.
Section 308 of the Constitution grants immunity from civil and criminal proceedings to serving president, vice-president, governors, and deputy governors.
Section 360 (1) (a – c) reads: “No civil or criminal proceedings shall be instituted or continued against a person to whom this section applies during his period of office;
“A person to whom this section applies shall not be arrested or imprisoned during that period either in pursuance of the process of any court or otherwise; and no process of any court requiring or compelling the appearance of a person to whom this section applies shall be applied for or issued.”
The federal government’s decision on the panel findings
Sources close to Mr Nnaji also told PREMIUM TIMES that the former minister is desperately seeking to become governor because he fears that the federal government might follow up on the findings of the Ministry of Education, which showed that he indeed forged his degree and NYSC certificates.
According to his associates, Mr Nnaji is troubled that the federal government could refer the panel’s findings to the Director of Public Prosecutions(DPP) for prosecution
“He (Mr Nnaji) feels that his future is uncertain with the certificate forgery scandal hanging over his neck.
“So he is thinking that if he becomes governor, at least for the first four years, he cannot be prosecuted because of the immunity he will enjoy,” one of the sources, who asked not to be named, said.
“And if he becomes governor and does everything to get his second term, so by eight years, all the people investigating him or prosecuting him will be out of power.”
Like the federal government like Enugu govt
Insiders further informed PREMIUM TIMES that Mr Nnaji is also concerned that the Enugu State Government may seek a fiat to prosecute him, given that the forgery offence was committed at UNN, a federal university in Enugu State.
This newspaper gathered that Mr Nnaji’s concern follows reports that the DPP and the Enugu State Ministry of Justice are considering seeking a warrant to prosecute the former minister for criminal misconduct.
Sources close to the former minister said these concerns have forced him to desperately seek the governorship of Enugu State in 2027.
For context, Section 211 (1a-c), 2, and 3 of the Nigerian Constitution empower any state’s attorney-general to institute, take over, or discontinue criminal proceedings already instituted against any person in respect of any offence created by or under any law enacted by a state assembly.
Nigerian politicians who followed similar routes
There are many instances of Nigerian politicians whose fraud investigations and trials were withdrawn upon assuming political positions that accorded them constitutional immunity.
For instance, Bala Mohammed served as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory from April 2010 to May 2015.
In 2016, shortly after he left office as minister, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arrested him for alleged financial crimes totalling more than N1.6 trillion.
However, after he contested and won the Bauchi State governorship election in 2019 under the PDP platform, the EFCC dropped the case against him, in line with the constitutional provision that grants an elected governor absolute immunity from criminal prosecution
The Bauchi governor’s ongoing second term in office will lapse by May 2027.
Earlier this month, he defected from the PDP to the Allied Peoples Movement, blaming the leadership crisis in the PPDP, which was exacerbated by a Supreme Court ruling that nullified the parallel convention held by a rival faction of the party.
Similarly, Theodore Orji served as governor of Abia State from 2007 to 2015.
Before then, Mr Orji was arrested by the EFCC in early 2007 while serving as chief of staff to then-outgoing Abia State Governor, Orji Kalu.
He spent over 90 days in detention, split between an EFCC cell and Kirikiri Maximum Security PPrison, on allegations of conspiracy and the laundering of billions of naira belonging to the Abia State Government.
READ ALSO: 2027: Despite forgery scandal, ex-minister Uche Nnaji emerges PDP governorship candidate
The politician was still in custody when he emerged as the governorship candidate of tthe now-defunct Progressive Peoples Alliance.
Due to his incarceration, he was unable to campaign at all ahead of the general eelection, although the then-governor , Orji Uzor Kalu, campaigned on his behalf.
Mr Orji was still being held at the EFCC cell when the Independent National Electoral Commission declared hhim the winner of the April 2007 governorship election in Abia, making him the first Nigerian governor to win an election from prison.
Following his election victory, the Court of Appeal granted him bail, which prompted him to be released just in time to be sworn in as the governor of Abia State on 29 May 2007.
The EFCC withdrew Mr Orji’s name from the active criminal charges at the time to allow him to govern after he gained constitutional immunity under Section 308 of the Nigerian Constitution upon taking his oath of office.
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