APC AND THE CULTURE OF CERTIFICATE CONTROVERSIES

In a nation weary of deceit, Nigerians have watched the All Progressives Congress (APC) become the symbol of a political order that treats truth as optional. From ministerial nominees to those in the highest offices, the party’s record has been stained by repeated controversies over academic qualifications and forged documents—issues that have been publicly reported, not whispered rumours.

According to Premium Times and Vanguard, former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology Uche Nnaji acknowledged that the certificate he submitted was not issued by the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. The university confirmed that although he was once admitted, he did not graduate and therefore was never awarded the degree he presented. The admission and subsequent resignation are on public record.

Similarly, international reports, including AP News and court filings obtained from the United States, show that Chicago State University confirmed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu attended the school but did not issue the exact diploma he presented to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). This contradiction sparked a storm of legal and moral questions that Nigeria’s courts largely dismissed on procedural grounds, leaving citizens wondering whether justice in their country is still blind—or simply bought.

When such scandals multiply within one political organisation, they cease to be isolated missteps. They become the signature of the party itself—a culture of impunity that rewards deceit and silences integrity. APC has turned moral compromise into policy, allowing individuals with disputed records to hold the nation’s most sacred offices.

The greater tragedy lies not in the forged papers, but in what they represent: the forgery of national conscience. Each scandal tells young Nigerians that truth no longer matters, that power can rewrite reality, and that the path to success is paved with deception rather than discipline.

Meanwhile, the judiciary—entrusted with defending the constitution—often retreats behind the smokescreen of “technicalities.” When courts dismiss glaring evidence from foreign institutions instead of confronting it, they cease to be temples of justice and become shrines of complicity.

But the people are watching. Nigerians are beginning to understand that the decay of their democracy is rooted not in individuals alone, but in the parties and institutions that protect falsehood. A system that tolerates lies at the top cannot produce truth in governance.

As the Voice of the People, I say enough is enough. Nigeria cannot rise on counterfeit foundations. Every leader—no matter how high—must face the same moral scrutiny. The time for truth is now.