President Muhammadu Buhari has issued a directive requiring all cabinet ministers seeking public office to resign no later than May 16, 2022.
On Wednesday, May 11, 2022, Tolu Ogunlesi, Special Assistant to the President for Digital and New Media, made the announcement on Twitter.
Just in: All members of President Buhari’s cabinet vying for public office will have to resign on or before May 16, 2022.
— tolu ogunlesi (@toluogunlesi) May 11, 2022
Members of President Muhammadu Buhari’s cabinet serve on the president’s committee of ministers, which oversees government policy and is selected by him.
Ministers of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi; the Niger Delta, Godswill Akpabio; Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige; Science, Technology and Innovation, Ogbonnaya Onu; Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba; and Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Abubakar Malami are among those who have affected due to there interest to join the presidential race on the platform of the All Progressive Congress (APC).
Others include the Minister of State for Mines and Steel, Uche Ogar, who is running for governor of Abia State, and the Minister of Women Affairs, Paulline Tallen, who has expressed her intention to seek a Senate seat in Plateau State.
This directive also exempts the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, who is a Buhari appointment but not a minister.
But the Appeal Court ordered Emefiele to quit since all political appointees cannot compete while in office.
