2023 Presidency: Amaechi, Ngige, Others May Lose Out

There’s palpable tension among ministers and other political appointees in the President Muhammadu Buhari administration as APC begins clearance of its presidential aspirants on Friday.

Following the Electoral Act 2022 into law, the All Progressives Congress, APC, had released guidelines requiring all appointees to resign 30 days to the presidential primary.

Article 3(L) of the party’s guidelines directs that all political appointees with political ambition must resign 30 days to the party primaries and national convention.

Among all the presidential aspirants, only the Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba, tendered his resignation even before President Muhammadu Buhari ordered all cabinet members interested in contesting the 2023 elections to quit his government.

Sources confirmed to THE WHISTLER that Nwajiuba resigned on April 28.

The APC fixed its presidential primary for 30th of May and 1st of June, meaning the minister resigned two days before the time would elapse.

On Wednesday various party sources said the party would implement its directives and guideline to the letter.

A source said,”failure to abide by the guidelines means the individual will not be cleared.”

He explained that the party will not risk allowing “unqualified persons to participate in the process as it could be declared illegal, meaning our party won’t have a presidential candidate just as it didn’t have a govrrnorship candidate in Zamfara and River States elections.”

The mood at the party’s national headquarters was bullish following news break that Buhari had ordered all appointees to resign and also hailed Nwajiuba for setting an example.

But it was gathered that the appointees may not resign to contest the presidential primary since it’s late already.

This development has vindicated APC leadership which believes not clearing any affected persons would be justified.

By Wednesday afternoon, the Special Assistant to the Nwajiuba, Paul Odili, confirmed that his principal actually resigned last month.

He said, “That the Honourable Minister, on accepting the nomination form on the 27th of April bought for him by his supporters led by an umbrella group, Project Nigeria;

“Wrote the President on the 28th informing him that having accepted the nomination by his supporters to contest the office of the presidency on the party’s platform, that he would like to disengage from office to enable him concentrate on his campaign and to avoid any conflict of interest.

“I can tell you Mr. President immediately accepted his letter of resignation.”

The party leadership has said no aspirant would be spared meaning political heavyweights such as Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, Transportation Minister, Rotimi Amaechi, CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, Science and Technology Minister, Ogbonnaya Onu, Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Sylva, CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele and AfDB President, Akinwumi Adesina have all failed to cross the hurdle.

The spokesman of the APC, Felix Morka, did not respond to a text message sent to his phone.