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HomePoliticsUPDATE: Three ministers, Onu, Akpabio, Nwajiuba resign following Buhari's directive

UPDATE: Three ministers, Onu, Akpabio, Nwajiuba resign following Buhari’s directive

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Three ministers in President Muhammadu Buhari’s cabinet have submitted their resignation letters following the directive by the president that political appointees nursing the ambition to contest the forthcoming election should resign before May 16, 2022.

The three ministers are the Minister of Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu, Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio and the Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba.

Nwajiuba was said to have announced his resignation at the federal executive council (FEC) meeting on Wednesday.

Godswill Akpabio
Godswill Akpabio

Sources at the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Ministry of science and technology confirmed that Onu had indeed dropped his resignation.

“The minister was at the office of the SGF to drop his resignation. That was expected seeing as the president asked that they all should resign”, one source said.

Nwajiuba had, on April 27, announced his intention to run for president in the 2023 general election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

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According to a source in the ministry, Nwajiuba had tendered his resignation on April 28 after announcing his intention to contest the presidency.

Onu had on May 6, 2022, declared for the presidency under the ruling All Progressives Congress.

The Minister of Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu, has followed the directive of President Buhari which asked that all members of his cabinet and appointees vying for electoral offices resign on or before May 16, 2022.

Akpabio’s resignation was disclosed in a statement released by his aide, Jackson Udom.

“Senator Akpabio has resigned his appointment as Minister, Niger Delta Affairs Ministry and will soon submit his nomination form at the International Conference Centre, Abuja, in line with his party’s guidelines,” the statement by Udom said.

Emeka Nwajiuba
Emeka Nwajiuba

On Wednesday, the president had directed all ministers in his cabinet, who are interested in contesting in the 2023 elections, to resign.

The president’s directive came amid controversy over section 84(12) of the Electoral Act 2022, which has now become a court matter.

The aforementioned section states: “No political appointee at any level shall be a 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.”

Ministers seeking elective positions in the current administration include the minister of justice and attorney-general of the federation, Abubakar Malami;  Minister of labour, Chris Ngige and minister of transportation, Rotimi Amaechi.

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