Mary Onyia
Following the directive by President Muhammadu Buhari ordering all members of his cabinet running for elective offices to resign on or before Monday, May 16, the Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwaijuba has resigned from his position in the cabinet.
Reports say he resigned his appointment Wednesday shortly after the President made his announcement.
The President had on Wednesday after a Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting held at the State House in Abuja, ordered all members of his cabinet seeking elective position in the forthcoming general elections to resign his appointment on or before May 16.
Nwajiuba becomes the first among the other members of Buhari’s cabinet to heed the directive from the president.
Among those affected by the new directive are; the Minister for Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, the Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele, the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami. Others are the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovations, Ogbonnaya Onu the Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development, Uche Sampson Ogah, and The Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Dame Pauline Tallen, to name a few.
According to the Minister for Information, Lai Mohammed, who disclosed the President’s directive to State House Correspondents, Wednesday, the only person in President’s Buhari’s cabinet, with intention of running for President come 2023 not affected by the directive is the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, who is an elected member of the cabinet.
All the affected persons have declared intention to run for the 2023 election.
Reports say Buhari’s directive comes hours after the Court of Appeal set aside the judgment of the Federal High Court in Umuahia which voided the provision of Section 84(12) of the Electoral Act 2022.