Uduegbunam Chukwujama
A circular issued by the Federal Government and signed by Boss Mustapha, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, has just added the Central Bank of Nigeria Governor (CBN) Godwin Emefiele to the list of federal government appointees to resign over their interest in becoming President in 2023.
The directive aligns with both the Electoral Act 2022 and the Guidelines of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) stipulating a minimum of 30 days window for appointees seeking elective offices to resign before an election. APC primary elections will take place in a matter of weeks.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelEmefiele had rejected the N100 million which he said was purchased for him by those pushing for his candidacy under the platform of the ruling party in 2023. But a suit, which he purportedly filed against the electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) Abubakar Malami, asking not to be prevented from participating in the process as a result of his ambition, made its way into the public domain 24 hours after.
Sources told Prime Business Africa on Thursday that the Presidency is ”particularly unhappy with the suit, from which the CBN governor has not been able to successfully extricate himself as far as the Presidency is concerned.”
Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari had, during Wednesday’s Federal Executive Council Meeting, ordered his ministers seeking political offices in 2023 to resign before Monday May 16, 2022.
At least three ministers, including Minister of State for Education Emeka Nwajiuba and Science Minister Ogbonnaya Onu, have complied with the directive.
Boss Mustapha’s circular addressed to ”Ministers, Heads of Government Agencies, Ambassadors and other Appointees with political ambitions” was dated May 11, 2022, and specifically asked ”all heads of extra-ministerial departments, Director-general/chief executive officers of parastatals, agencies and government-owned companies” who have political ambition ”to tender their resignation on or before Monday, the 16th of May, 2022.”
