Following President Muhammadu Buhari’s order, the Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba has resigned from his office to contest for the office of president.
This was disclosed by the senior media aide to the Presidency, Garba Shehu on Wednesday evening.
What you should know
It would be recalled that earlier today, President Muhammadu Buhari ordered members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) with the ambition of contesting for elective offices in the 2023 elections to submit their letters of resignation on or before Monday, May 16, 2022.
- Nwajiuba was one of the first persons to pick the APC Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms for the APC Presidential Primary as a group of Nigerians reportedly raised over N100m from where they purchased the forms for him.
- The Minister was a member of the House of Representatives in 1999 to 2003 under the defunct All Peoples Party (APP) and was re-elected into the House in 2019 on the platform of Accord Party before he was appointed minister by President Muhammadu Buhari.
- He became a member of the House after the pronouncement by the FCT High Court Kubwa, which sacked Chike Okafor, Ehime Mbano/Ihitte Uboma/Obowo Federal Constituency of Imo State, and pronounced Mr Nwajuiba as the winner of the election.
- However, the decision of the FCT High court was subsequently upturned by the Appeal Court and finally the Supreme Court. However, by then, Mr Nwajuiba was already a cabinet minister.
- During his stint in the 9th House, he made a bid for the Speakership position but stepped down for the eventual winner, Femi Gbajabiamila.
- He was nominated for a ministerial role and became a Minister of State for Education of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2019.
As the directive takes effect, those who will be affected include the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige; Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio; Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi; Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami; Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Ogbonnaya Onu, who have all declared interest to run for president under the All Progressive Congress (APC).
Others are the Minister of Women Affairs, Pauline Tallen, who declared her ambition to contest for the senatorial seat in Plateau State and the Minister of State Mines and Steel, Uche Ogar, who is running for governorship position in Abia State.