Rights activist lawyer, Dele Farotimi, has reacted to yesterday’s resignation from office of Uche Nnaji, Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, declaring him the most honorable among other members of President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet.
In a post on X, Farotimi thumbed up Nnaji for his action.
Following allegation of certificate forgery, Nnaji quit office –a move confirmed by the Presidency in a statement by presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga,same yesterday.
In his reaction , Farotimi urged others in the government, who have been accused of forgery to follow suit.
Recall that Tinubu’s Chicago University certificate was a key fulcrum of post-election litigation by leading opposition politician, Atiku Abubakar, of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) during the 2023 judicial battles by him to upturn Tinubu’s victory in the poll.
Atiku alleged that Tinubu presented a forged certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ahead the election itself.
The Supreme Court,which ultimately heard the matter as part of a wider election case by the opposition candidate, however, threw it out as coming too late at that stage of judicial proceedings, saying he (Atiku) did not include such ‘evidence’ among his pleadings at the lower court, the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT), from where,having lost, he had appealed to the apex court.
The 1999 Constitution (as amended) lists forgery as a crime –an action which,if proven, can disqualify anyone from holding public office.
Of Nnaji, Farotimi wrote: “I don’t know him, and I no send am. BUT this guy is more honorable than every other person in the cabinet from which he has ‘honorably’ resigned.
“When is the aspiring Hitler of Obiakpor resigning, and would the honorable precedent be following suit?”
*PHOTO CAPTION: Farotimi.
