Buhari asks Amaechi, Malami, others eyeing elective seats to resign

President Muhammadu Buhari has asked all members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) contesting elective positions in 2023 to resign.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, announced this while briefing State House reporters on the outcome of the federal cabinet meeting presided over by Buhari at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

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He said the ministers have been given up till May 16, 2022, to quit the cabinet.

He said only Vice President Yemi Osinbajo as an elected official was exempted.

The minister said he did not have the mandate to talk on the fate of other political appointees who are also vying for elective positions but are not members of the cabinet.

Already, some members of cabinet have picked up their expression of interest and nomination forms in order to secure the presidential, governorship, and legislative tickets on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The federal cabinet members who picked the forms to get the APC presidential ticket include Ministers of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi; Niger Delta, Godswill Akpabio; Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige; Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu, Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba; as well as Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva.

The Minister of State, Mines and Steel Development, Uche Ogar, has obtained governorship nomination forms to get APC ticket in Abia State, while the Minister of Women Affairs, Paulline Tallen, had declared her ambition to contest for the senatorial seat in Plateau State.

Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, has equally declared to contest the APC governorship ticket in Kebbi State.