The All Progressives Congress (APC) has declared that all its members currently holding political appointments in the President Muhammadu Buhari administration and are desirous of participating in the party’s forthcoming primaries must resign their positions in line with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022.
This is as information indicates that the issue of political appointees quitting their jobs will most likely dominate discussion at the first post-convention meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Party scheduled for Abuja on Wednesday, April 20.
National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Mr. Felix Morka, who announced the position of the party on Friday, said the party would ensure that all its political appointees wishing to contest the 2023 elections comply with Section 84 (12) of the Electoral Act.
Some ministers in the President Buhari-led administration that include the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi and his Labour counterpart, Chris Ngige have indicated interest in contesting elective offices in 2023.
However, Section 84 (12) of the Electoral Act stipulates that political appointees, including ministers, commissioners and special advisers, shall vacate office to be eligible to participate either as delegates or contestants at the convention of their political parties.
Some of the political appointees, particularly at the State level, have complied with the provisions of the law by resigning in order to meet with the June 3, 2022 cut-off date set by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for political parties to complete their primaries.
So far, only the Transportation Minister, Rotimi Amaechi has publicly declared his interest in the APC presidential primaries while others such as the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chris Nigige, his Niger Delta Affairs counterpart, Godswill Akpabio and the Attorney General of the Federation and Justice Minister Abubakar Malami as well as the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba aspiring for governorship, remains in the sphere of speculation.
The spokesman of the APC, Felix Morka insisted that the position of the party is consistent with the provisions of the Electoral Act.
In the words of Morka; “We expect our affected members who may have the intention of contesting the primaries to comply with the provisions of the Electoral Act.
“The party will simply follow the Electoral Act. Any member of the party who is in an appointive position, we will expect such individual to resign before our primaries. We are hopeful that they will comply at the right time and we are going to ensure that anyone seeking our ticket will not breach the Electoral Act,” he insisted.”
Morka also said; “The Electoral Act however does not stipulate the time frame by which individuals should resign their appointments before the primary. But we shall ensure the party complies with the law.”
