Adeosun: Powerful Enemies in Buhari Govt. Saw NYSC Scandal as Chance to Oust Me

Kemi Adeosun, the former Minister of Finance, has stated that influential adversaries within former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration leveraged the controversy surrounding her National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate to force her out of office.

Adeosun made these revelations in an interview on Channels Television’s Inside Sources, scheduled for full broadcast on Friday, with excerpts aired on Thursday.

In 2018, Adeosun resigned from her position following allegations that she presented a forged NYSC discharge certificate as part of her credentials.

Reflecting on the incident, the former minister asserted that certain powerful figures saw the scandal as a political opportunity.

“I’m not confused about the fact that I had powerful enemies who I believed saw an opportunity. Let’s get rid of her,” Adeosun stated.

She detailed her decision to resign, explaining that she personally informed President Buhari of her plan to step down and pursue legal action to clear her name.

“No one resigned in finance but I did. Why did I resign? The day I resigned I went to go and see the president. I said, ‘Mr President, I need to go but I will go to court to clear my name’,” she recounted.

“He said, ‘I absolutely support you. Because these names are leased for our children and grandchildren, right? They are going to inherit them’. And then you destroy your name because you want to stay as minister. For what?”

Adeosun emphasized the incompatibility of serving in government while litigating against it. “I sued the federal government. You can’t be suing the government and staying in the government. You can’t. You have to go. I think it is the right thing to do.”

In a July 2021 ruling, the Federal High Court in Abuja declared that Adeosun could not be penalised or face forfeiture of her office over the NYSC certificate issue. Justice Taiwo Taiwo held that she had no legal obligation to present an NYSC certificate to hold public office. The court’s judgment did not, however, address the specific allegation of forgery.