2027: INEC CLEARS EX-MINISTER GEOFFREY NNAJI FOR ENUGU GOVERNORSHIP RACE AMID CERTIFICATE FORGERY ALLEGATIONS
Read Time:1 Minute, 24 Second
By: Muftau Fatimo
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has listed former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Geoffrey Nnaji, as a candidate for the 2027 Enugu State governorship election.
Nnaji, who is listed as the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), appears at number 13 on the list released by the electoral commission on Saturday night.
The list, signed by INEC Secretary, Rose Oriaran-Anthony, indicated that Nnaji submitted his West African Examinations Council (WAEC) results without including the degree certificate at the centre of the controversy surrounding his academic qualifications.
His inclusion on the list comes amid allegations of certificate forgery that preceded his resignation as a minister.
Nnaji reportedly resigned following an investigative report by Premium Times, which alleged that he submitted forged academic and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificates to President Bola Tinubu and the Senate during his ministerial nomination process in 2023.
The former minister was subsequently reported to have been arrested at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, upon his arrival in Nigeria.
He was reportedly apprehended by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) before being handed over to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
Nnaji was later arraigned before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja on charges bordering on certificate forgery, abuse of office and money laundering.
He pleaded not guilty to the charges and was granted bail in the sum of ₦20 million, with one surety.
Despite the ongoing legal controversy, INEC’s inclusion of Nnaji on its list of governorship candidates places him among those listed for the 2027 Enugu State governorship election.
Happy
0 %
Sad
0 %
Excited
0 %
Sleepy
0 %
Angry
0 %
Surprise
0 %
0
0