The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has cleared the former Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Geoffrey Nnaji, to contest the 2027 governorship election in Enugu State.
According to Premium Times, Nnaji, who is flying the flag of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was listed as candidate number 13 on the final roster released by the commission over the weekend.
According to the document signed by the INEC Secretary, Rose Oriaran-Anthony, the former minister submitted only his West African Examinations Council (WAEC) result.
The clearance comes months after Nnaji resigned from the federal cabinet following revelations that he submitted forged academic and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) credentials during his 2023 ministerial confirmation, which was extensively reported by Dawn Herald, October last year.
The University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), officially disowned the purported degree, stating that while he was admitted in 1981, he never completed his coursework.
Following his resignation, operatives of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) arrested him at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on July 1, 2026, for repeatedly evading official invitations.
The former minister is currently standing trial before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik at the Federal High Court in Abuja. He pleaded not guilty to charges of certificate forgery, abuse of office, and money laundering, and was granted bail in the sum of N20 million.
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