The Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, and his counterparts in the ministries of Niger-Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio and Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu have resigned their appointments to allow them to contest the 2023 presidential election.
The Ministers’ resignation is coming after President Buhari, on Wednesday, directed all members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) running for elective offices to submit their letters of resignation on or before Monday, 16th May 2022.
Disclosing Amaechi’s decision to relinquish his position as a Minister, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the United Kingdom on its official Twitter handle on Wednesday wrote, “Nigeria’s Minister of #Transportation, HM Chibuike R. Amaechi (@ChibuikeAmaechi) has resigned from the Federal Executive Council (FEC) to focus on his presidential campaign.
“Thank you for your service to Nigeria.”
On his part, Akpabio, speaking through his Chief Press Secretary, Jackson Udom, disclosed that contrary to the report, he had actually resigned from the cabinet in order to pursue his presidential aspiration.
According to the statement by Udom: “Our attention has been drawn to mischievously written news stories making the rounds that the leading presidential aspirant, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has purportedly withdrawn from the presidential race. This is a joke carried too far.
“This is certainly the handiwork of those who are scared of contesting against Senator Godswill Akpabio.
“Senator Akpabio has resigned his appointment as Minister, Niger-Delta Affairs Ministry and will soon submit his nomination form at the International Conference Centre, Abuja, in line with his party’s guidelines.
“For those behind these lies and falsehood, we advise that they should learn to live with the reality that Senator Akpabio is fully in the race, not only for the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket but to emerge the next democratically elected President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
The Ministers’ resignation follows that of Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajuiba who tendered his resignation shortly after the FEC meeting.
