Forgery as State Policy: Tinubu, his administration, DSS must be held accountable – Atiku

The former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, has said that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should be held ac- countable for upgrading forgery to the status of a state policy.

The presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 general elections said this in reaction to the resignation yesterday of the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, following accusations of certificate forgery.

Atiku reacted in a statement issued Wednesday personally signed by him. According to Atiku, yesterday’s resignation of the minister has once again brought to light the deep moral crisis at the heart of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration.

He said that what should ordinarily be a matter of national shame is now being disguised as a ‘voluntary resignation’, an attempt to whitewash yet another scandal that typifies the forgery-ridden character of this government.

“Let the truth be told Uche Nnaji should not have been allowed the courtesy of resignation. He should have been summarily dismissed and prosecuted for deceit and falsification. By permitting him to quietly exit through the backdoor, the Tinubu administration has once again demonstrated that it is an assembly of forgers, impostors, and morally bankrupt individuals masquerading as public servants,” Atiku said.

Continuing he said, “What makes this even more embarrassing is that the same Department of State Services (DSS) which screened out Mallam Nasir el-Rufai for alleged ‘security concerns’ is the very agency that cleared this same character, Uche Nnaji. The DSS truly deserves our flowers for this national disgrace.

“Their failure of due diligence has made Nigeria an object of ridicule before the world and raises the question: how many more of such individuals are occupying sensitive positions in this government?

“This episode is not isolated. It is a reflection of a pattern, a rot that begins from the very top. The man who occupies the office of president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has for decades been enmeshed in controversies surrounding his identity, age, and academic records.

“From the Chicago State University saga to multiple contradictory claims under oath, the world has seen ample evidence that Nigeria today is led by a man who himself has been unable to credibly defend the authenticity of his own certificates.”

Atiku added, “When a man of questionable identity leads a country, deception becomes the standard of governance.

“Tinubu’s personal history of alleged forgery and perjury has effectively institutionalised falsehood in public service.

“It is, therefore, unsurprising that his ministers and aides have taken after his example by falsifying documents, inflating records, and desecrating the moral foundation of our nation.