Nnaji: Tinubu not aiding corruption, cover ups – Onoh

The former Southeast spokesman for president Bola Tinubu Denge. Josef Onoh, has refuted the allegation by the Africa Democratic Congress (ADC) that the presidency aids cover ups for corruption.

The ADC allegation arise from the former Minister for Innovation Science and Technology Chief Uche Nnaji, who resigned his appointment on Tuesday following certificates forgery allegation.

The ADC painted a picture of the President’s sympathy for criminality weak response to integrity breaches, claiming that his acceptance Minister Nnaji’s resignation signals a troubling pattern of dishonesty within the APC.

But Onoh said that the ADC position amounts to political mischief, egregious and desperate attempt by a fringe opposition party to score cheap points amid their own irrelevance.

“Let me first clarify the timeline and substance of the Uche Nnaji affair, which the ADC conveniently glosses over in their rush to judgment. Uche Nnaji, nominated as Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, faced scrutiny during his Senate confirmation hearings over discrepancies in his academic credentials. In a display of the self-correcting mechanisms inherent in our democratic institutions, verifications by the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) revealed that the certificates presented were not issued by these bodies. Crucially, Nnaji himself acknowledged this in court filings, demonstrating candor rather than concealment.

“Rather than stonewall or defend the indefensible, a tactic all too familiar in opposition circles, Nnaji proactively tendered his resignation. President Tinubu, in line with his administration’s zero-tolerance stance on impropriety, accepted the resignation without delay. This was not a quiet shuffle or a backroom deal; it was a public affirmation that no one was above the law.

“Therefore, the ADC’s assertion that this acceptance gives an impression of sympathy is a figment of the party’s imagination untethered from reality. On the contrary, it underscores the President’s efficiency in removing unfit elements from public office, preventing further embarrassment to the nation.

“To label this as a ‘cover-up’ is not just hyperbolic; it is defamatory. President Tinubu did not ‘let off the hook’ any official, he excised a problem at its root. The resignation itself triggered the necessary institutional reviews, including potential referrals to investigative bodies, all operating independently of the executive. This is governance that acts decisively, not one that drags the nation through protracted spectacles for political theater,” Onoh clarified.

On the constitutional prerogative and the President’s authority in ministerial appointments and removals, Onoh rebuked ADC’s indignation, ignoring the clear delineations of power in Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution (as amended), which vests the president with explicit authority over the executive branch.

He quoted that under Section 147(1), the President “may, in his discretion, assign members of his administration to departments or ministries,” implying the corollary power to remove them when exigencies demand.

“This discretion is not absolute but is bounded by the principles of good governance and accountability, which President Tinubu has consistently upheld.

“Furthermore, Section 11 of the Third Schedule Part I, outlines the Senate’s role in confirmation but does not mandate executive retention post-confirmation if new facts emerge. The President’s acceptance of a resignation is a legitimate exercise of executive prerogative, akin to the “pleasure doctrine” under Section 141, which allows ministers to hold office at the President’s pleasure.”

Onoh maintained that by accepting Nnaji’s resignation, President Tinubu invoked this authority to safeguard public trust, not evade it, noting that the Supreme Court affirmed such discretion in cases such as the A.G. Federation v. A.G. Lagos State (2013), emphasizing that executive actions in personnel matters must be reasonable and not arbitrary—criteria met here through prompt, transparent handling.

He said that he ADC’s demand for the President to “take a tougher stance” beyond resignation betrays their misunderstanding of separation of powers, because the executive appoints and removes and does not prosecute.

“That remit belongs to the judiciary and independent agencies like the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC). President Tinubu’s administration has empowered these bodies—evidenced by over 5,000 convictions under his watch since 2023—rather than micromanaging them for partisan gain.

“Legal Framework on Forgery: Due Process Over Lynch Mob Justice, which presumably might be The core of the ADC’s accusation hinges on forgery, a serious offense under Nigerian law. Yet, their portrayal of the President’s response as enabling impunity flies in the face of statutes that prioritize investigation over the presumption of guilt. Forgery is criminalized under Sections 465–467 of the Criminal Code Act (Cap. C38, LFN 2004), which defines it as making a false document with intent to defraud, punishable by up to 14 years imprisonment. For public officers, Section 22 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Act, 2000 imposes additional liabilities for false declarations in official capacities.

“However, conviction requires due process: investigation, arraignment, and trial, as enshrined in Sections 35–36 of the 1999 Constitution, guaranteeing fair hearing and presumption of innocence.

“The ADC’s call for immediate prosecution “if found guilty” conflates resignation with absolution—a strawman they erect to attack the President. Nnaji’s resignation does not immunize him; it merely shifts him from public office to private citizen status, where agencies like the EFCC can pursue charges unencumbered by executive privilege.

“President Tinubu has a proven track record of referring such matters for prosecution. Recall the swift EFCC indictments in the Betta Edu and Halima Shehu cases earlier in 2025, both involving APC appointees. In Nnaji’s instance, reports indicate that the Attorney-General’s office has already flagged the file for review by relevant agencies. This is not “letting corrupt officials off the hook”—it is allowing the law to take its course, free from executive interference.

“The ADC’s alternative—executive-orchestrated “tough stances”—would violate Section 4(8) of the Constitution, which limits legislative oversight to appropriation, not prosecutorial direction.

“Moreover, the ADC’s hypocrisy is glaring. As a party with its own history of internal scandals, including unresolved allegations against its leadership in the 2023 elections, they lecture on integrity from a glass house. Nigerians deserve better than opposition tantrums that erode institutions for fleeting headlines.

“The ADC’s claim of a ‘troubling pattern’ of certificate scandals under the APC is a tired trope, selectively amnesiac about opposition figures who have faced similar scrutiny. President Tinubu’s credentials were rigorously vetted by the courts, including the Supreme Court in Buhari v. INEC (2008) and subsequent election petitions, affirming his eligibility. Under his leadership, the administration has digitized credential verification for all appointees via the National Identification Number (NIN) integration, a reform lauded by the World Bank in its 2025 Governance Report.

“This is a government that has recovered over ₦2 trillion in assets through anti-corruption drives and implemented the Steve Oronsaye Report to prune bureaucratic bloat—actions that have saved billions. The Uche Nnaji episode is an aberration corrected swiftly, not a systemic flaw. By contrast, the ADC’s silence on their own governance failures, most especially within their party that they can’t control, speaks volumes.

“In Conclusion, Trust in Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda

Fellow Nigerians, especially in the Southeast where I proudly served as APC spokesman, the ADC’s statement is a smokescreen for their electoral frustrations.

“President Tinubu is not sympathetic to criminality; he is resolute against it, guided by constitutional fidelity and legal rigor. The Uche Nnaji resignation was a masterclass in accountable leadership: remove the unfit, empower institutions, and let justice prevail.

“I call on patriotic Nigerians to reject this partisan noise and focus on the Renewed Hope Agenda—delivering infrastructure, security, and economic revival. To the ADC: Bring evidence, not echoes. To President Tinubu: Your steadfastness inspires us all.

“Should further details emerge warranting investigation, rest assured the administration will act decisively. But for now, let us celebrate a president who governs by the book, not by the ballot’s bitterness,” Onoh said.

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