Peter Obi has commended disgraced minister Uche Nnaji for resigning over his forged NYSC certificate.

“It is commendable that the Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Mr Uche Nnaji, has resigned following the controversy surrounding discrepancies in his academic certificates,” Mr Obi said.

The former Anambra governor added, “That is a decent and honourable step. Similarly, we can recall that during President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, then Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun, resigned after issues were raised concerning her NYSC certificate.

“These instances remind us that such matters are not trivial; they constitute serious criminal offences.”

Mr Obi said this in a statement on Thursday.

However, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar on Wednesday demanded the prosecution of the disgraced minister.

“Tuesday’s resignation of Uche Nnaji, Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, has once again brought to light the deep moral crisis at the heart of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration.

“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,” Mr Abubakar said.

Mr Nnaji’s resignation followed the Peoples Gazette exclusive report exposing his forged certificate in 2024. Though The Gazette exposed Mr Nnanji’s forged certificates, it took over a year for him to resign amid public pressure.