President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday ordered all ministers seeking elective offices in 2023 to resign on or before 16 May.
Buhari gave the directive during the Federal Executive Council meeting held at the Presidential Villa.
“All members of President Buhari’s cabinet vying for public office will have to resign on or before May 16, 2022,” Tolu Ogunlesi, Special Assistant to President on Digital and New Media said on Twitter.
This decision was in an apparent move to avoid litigations that might jeopardise the chances of APC candidates in the forthcoming elections.
Chronicle NG reports that some members of the Buhari cabinet vying for public offices include the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami.
Others are Rotimi Amaechi (Minister of Transportation); Senator Chris Ngige (Minister of Labour and Productivity); Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba (Minister of State for Education) and Godswill Akpabio (Minister of Niger Delta) who are all vying for presidency.
Section 84 (12) of Nigeria’s amended Electoral Act 2022 states that “no political appointee at any level shall be voting delegate or be voted for at the Convention or Congress of any political party for the purpose of the nomination of candidates for any election.”
