Ten Nigerian cabinet members resigned to run for political office in next year’s general election in compliance with an order from President Muhammadu Buhari.
The ministers will be replaced without delay, Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information and Culture, said at a media briefing in the capital, Abuja.
Buhari had directed all cabinet ministers that intended to run in national elections next February to resign from their posts by May 16 to ensure they didn’t unfairly benefit from their government positions.
Those who quit include Transport Minister Rotimi Amaechi; Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, the Minister of state for Education; Godswill Akpabio, Minister of Niger Delta affairs; Ogbonnaya Onu, Minister of science and technology; and Timipre Sylva, the Junior Minister for petroleum. Minister of Justice and Attorney General Abubakar Malami also resigned.
President Muhammadu Buhari also acts as the senior petroleum minister.
Mohammed said he didn’t have any information on the status of Central Bank Governor Godwin Emefiele, who has also declared his intention to run.
Almost 50 candidates, including Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and Senate President Ahmed Lawan, have indicated their interest in running for president on the tickets of the two main parties, the All Progressives Congress and the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party. Osinbajo and Lawan are exempted from the resignation order as they aren’t political appointees.
Buhari will step down after serving two four-year terms following the February 2023 ballot. At least four of the ministers who resigned are looking to replace Buhari, as is central bank governor Godwin Emefiele who is making an unprecedented presidential run.
“This morning, there was a valedictory service for 10 members of the federal council who have indicated their desire to aspire for higher offices,” the information minister said, in a press statement. “Nine of them were present, the 10th was absent with apology.”
Nigeria’s governing party and the leading opposition parties are running primary elections later this month and must pick their candidates by June 3.
