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Ex-minister Nnaji wins PDP Enugu gov ticket amid forgery claims
🇳🇬 Nigeria /Elections & Politics

Ex-minister Nnaji wins PDP Enugu gov ticket amid forgery claims

From Premium Times · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Uche Nnaji, a former minister, secured the PDP governorship candidacy for Enugu State in 2027, despite facing a certificate forgery scandal.
  • Nnaji won the party's primary with 7,424 votes, defeating Samson Nnamani, who received 600 votes.
  • He has promised to reduce the tax burden on residents if elected, criticizing the current administration for overtaxing citizens.

Uche Nnaji, a former Nigerian minister, has emerged as the Peoples Democratic Party's (PDP) governorship candidate for Enugu State in 2027. His candidacy, however, is shadowed by a certificate forgery scandal. Nnaji secured the nomination by winning the party's primary election, polling 7,424 votes against Samson Nnamani's 600.

I give this victory to the glory of God and our Enugu people, who have been oppressed in the last three years and being overburdened with excessive, obnoxious taxes.

— Uche NnajiIn his acceptance speech after winning the PDP primary election.

This victory comes despite a two-year investigation by PREMIUM TIMES, published in October 2025, which uncovered alleged forgery of Nnaji's degree and National Youth Service Corps certificates. These documents were reportedly submitted during his ministerial confirmation. Nnaji resigned from his ministerial position shortly after the investigation's publication. He had previously switched from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the PDP after an unsuccessful bid for the governorship in 2023.

Landlords are paying through their nose, hoteliers are crying, commercial motorcyclists are out of existence, and even people hawking water pay tax.

— Uche NnajiDescribing the tax burden on Enugu residents in his acceptance speech.

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has also launched an investigation into the forgery allegations. Insiders suggest potential prosecution if the investigation confirms the forged credentials. Furthermore, an investigative panel set up by Nigeria's Minister of Education reportedly found evidence of certificate forgery.

These are the people that we should be giving money to. The government should make provision to pay the less privileged. And that is the fulcrum of this struggle.

— Uche NnajiOutlining his vision for supporting the less privileged during his acceptance speech.

Despite these ongoing investigations and criticisms from civil society groups, Nnaji accepted the PDP nomination. In his acceptance speech, he pledged to alleviate the "sufferings" of Enugu residents by reducing what he described as "excessive, obnoxious taxes." He highlighted the financial strain on various groups, including landlords, hoteliers, and small vendors, promising to shift the government's focus towards supporting the less privileged.

The struggle to recover Enugu State, the struggle to rebuild Enugu State and the struggle to industrialise Enugu State, so that we will arrest you

— Uche NnajiConcluding his acceptance speech with a call to action.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Premium Times in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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