By Gideon Njoku
Embarrassed by the number of his Cabinet members seeking to replace him in 2023, President Muhammadu Buhari has finally garnered the courage to do what he ought to have done many weeks ago.
He has asked his Cabinet seeking elective offices in 2023 to resign. The deadline for their resignation is May 16, 2022.
Reliable sources told this medium that even though the number of the All Progressives Congress, APC, members aspiring to the Presidency may have been a ploy to raise money for the Party, the President had suddenly become uncomfortable by the ease with which each of his Cabinet members seeking to be President in 2023, raised the N100m APC price tag for the Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms.
Briefing the Press on Wednesday, Minister for Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed said only Vice President Yemi Osinbajo is exempted from the order because he is elected, not appointed.
By this order, many say Buhari has separated the men from the boys. Those who bought the Forms for the fun of it, just to be counted, knowing they would never get more than five votes at the Primary, will now have to decide if they want to lose their plum Ministerial job for a wild goose chase, or still enjoy it for the next one year. The Buhari Government expires on May 29, 2023.
Those affected by Buhari’s order include the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister for Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, who is running for the office of the Kebbi State Governor, Transportation Minister, Chibuike Amaechi, Minister for Niger Delta, Godswill Akpabio, Minister for State, Education, Emeka Nwajiuba, Minister for Labour and Productivity, Chris Ngige, Minister for State, Petroleum, Timipere Sylva, Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu.
Others are the Minister of State for Mines and Steel, Uche Ogar who is running for the office of the Governor, Abia State, and the Minister for Women Affairs, Pauline Tallen who is running for a Senatorial seat in Plateau State.
The fate of the Governor of the Central Bank, Godwin Emefiele is not yet known. He, too, has his eyes on running for the office of the President.
Not a few people think a number of the Ministers would, because of the President’s order, jettison their empty Presidential ambition.
However, for the APC as a Party, it is a win-win situation as the N100m each aspirant paid is not likely to be refunded to any of them – except the President so orders.
