Ngige Reluctant To Resign, As Tinubu’s Squad Storms APC National HQs, Submits His Presidential Forms

By Gideon Njoku

One of the Presidential aspirants, Dr Chris Ngige, is not very ready to lose his Ministerial position.

Ngige, the Minister for Labour and Productivity, had  weeks ago, declared an interest in succeeding President Muhammadu Buhari in office in 2023.

In the days following his declaration, he had said he was not going to resign from his Ministerial position just because he has an eye on the Presidential seat.

But on Wednesday, May 11, President Muhammadu Buhari pulled the rug from under the feet of his Cabinet  members and other Political  appointees seeking elective offices in 2023. He ordered them to resign from office on, or before, May 16, 2022.

While their resignation letters are being awaiting, Ngige has put a “comma” to his position.

Instead of handing over his letter, he says he needed to consult with the President and his Constituents before resigning – the same President who gave the order for them to resign.

Ngige’s unsteady steps to his aspiration comes on the day the “Political Squad” of one of APC’s frontline Presidential aspirants, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, stormed Abuja to submit Tinubu’s completed Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms.

The formidable group was led by Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and former Secretary to the Federal Government, Babachir. A Member of the House of Representatives, James Faleke also was fully  present.

Tinubu, thus, becomes the first aspirant, under the APC, to submit his completed Presidential Forms.

However, Ngige, while trying to make up his mind to run or not to run said: “I will consult Mr President and my Constituency before I resign”

Not a few people say Ngige will rather withdraw from his President ambition than quit the Cabinet. They say, for him,  a bird in hand is better than two in the bush.

An APC Chieftan who pleaded anonymity told this medium: “Ngjge knows he is going nowhere. Since he declared interest in succeeding Mr President, have you heard any other thing from him? Have you seen him going round the country to consult delegates? Is that how to become a President. Leave the man. He will, before May 16, tell you his Constituents asked him not to resign.”

Meanwhile, the Minister of  State for Education, another Presidential aspirant, Emeka Nwajiuba, has resigned from office, becoming the first to do so.