President Muhammadu Buhari confirmed this on Wednesday while asking other members of his cabinet pursuing political ambitions in the 2023 general elections to follow suit, Daily Post reports.
The Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba has resigned from office.
President Muhammadu Buhari confirmed this on Wednesday while asking other members of his cabinet pursuing political ambitions in the 2023 general elections to follow suit, Daily Post reports.
Buhari was quoted to have singled out the minister for finding the courage to resign from office.
Nwajiuba had declared his intention to run for President in 2023 and picked up the N100 million expression of interest and nomination forms of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Buhari had directed that all members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) running for elective offices should submit their letters of resignation on or before Monday, May 16, 2022.
Singling out Nwajiuba, Buhari said, “I expect other members of this council seeking to be President to resign with immediate effect.”
Nwajiuba’s presidential ambition had attracted public condemnation, especially as university lecturers under the aegis of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, have been on strike since February over poor funding, among other demands.
SaharaReporters had reported that the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, on Wednesday also asked all members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) contesting elective positions in 2023 to resign.
According to Mohammed, the President’s order excludes the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo because he is an elected member of the cabinet.
Mohammed added that if the need arises, the directive might involve political appointees.
Among those affected are Ministers of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi; Labour and Productivity, Chris Nigige; Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio; Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu and State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva who have all joined the presidential race on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Others are Attorney General of the Federation, Mallam Abubakar Malami, who has declared interested in the governorship position in his home state of Kebbi.
Running for the governorship position in Abia State is the Minister of State Mines and Steel, Uche Ogar while the Minister of Women Affairs, Pauline Tallen has also declared her ambition to contest for the senatorial seat in Plateau State.
The Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, has also purchased the N50 million APC nomination forms to succeed Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2023 governorship polls.
Though not a cabinet member, SaharaReporters gathered that Godwin Emefiele, governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) may also be affected by the presidential order.
The directive may not be unconnected with the Appeal Court ruling which set aside an earlier judgement against Section 84(12) of the Electoral Act 2022.