UCHE NNAJI, EX-MINISTER WHO RESIGNED OVER ‘CERTIFICATE FORGERY’, WINS ENUGU PDP GUBER TICKET

ENUGU, NIGERIA — MAY 27, 2026

Former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, has emerged as the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Enugu State ahead of the 2027 general election.

Nnaji secured victory in the party’s gubernatorial primary after polling 7,424 votes to defeat his closest rival, Samson Nnamani, who garnered 600 votes in the exercise conducted across the 17 local government areas of the state.
The chairman of the PDP primary election committee, Austin Nwachukwu, announced the result and described the exercise as peaceful and in line with the party’s guidelines and the Electoral Act.

Nnaji, who served as minister under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, resigned from office in 2025 following allegations that he submitted forged academic and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificates during his ministerial screening and confirmation process.

Investigative reports had alleged inconsistencies in the credentials presented by the former minister, prompting widespread controversy and investigations by relevant authorities. Nnaji, however, maintained that the allegations were politically motivated and not an admission of wrongdoing.

Despite the controversy surrounding his resignation, the former minister clinched the PDP ticket with a wide margin, positioning himself as one of the leading contenders in the Enugu governorship race scheduled for 2027.

In his acceptance speech, Nnaji thanked party delegates and supporters for their confidence in his leadership, promising to address economic hardship and what he described as excessive taxation in the state if elected governor.