*New guidelines may affect Malami’s governorship ambition in Kebbi
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has read a riot act to political appointees as its new guidelines have stipulated that all political appointees seeking to participate in its primary elections at all levels must resign at least 30 days before the conduct of the primaries.
The new guideline was released on Wednesday by the leadership of the APC
With the new guidelines, political appointees of President Muhammadu Buhari like the Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, and Minister of State for Education, Mr Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, who are vying for the 2023 presidency, have just three days to either resign their appointments or forget their ambitions.
Incidentally, Nwajiuba became the first minister under Buhari to obtain copies of the Nomination and Expression of Interest forms on Wednesday, having paid the mandatory N100million for the presidential forms
According to the ruling APC’s timetable, the presidential primary election for the party has been scheduled to hold between May 30 and June 1.
The new guidelines will also affect the ambitions of other aspirants for different elective positions who have not resigned their appointments as at Wednesday, April 25.
The APC timetable also indicates that Governorship, Senate, federal and state Assembly primary elections to select APC candidates for the general elections will hold between May 18 and 23.
The development indicates that political appointees for such positions who are yet to resign by Friday would have lost whatever was left of their chances to contest in the primaries.
An official of the party who sought anonymity on Wednesday night, confirmed the development, saying that presidential aspirants still occupying various appointive positions have up till Friday, April 29 to resign their positions.
The official also disclosed that governorship aspirants occupying appointive positions who have not resigned before April 18 are ineligible to vie for the governorship of their respective states.
He said, “For those aspiring for presidential primaries, they have just four days from today (Tuesday) to step down because the Electoral Act stipulates that they must do so 30 days to the presidential primary on May 30.
“Those angling for the governorship who have not done so are out of it because the governorship primaries are scheduled to hold on June 18. This is in line with laid down rules and regulations”.
In line with the new guideline and stipulated time frame for resignation, the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr Abubakar Malami (SAN), who is said to be nursing the governorship ambition to succeed Kebbi State Governor Atiku Bagudu, the new guideline will affect his ambition.
Section 3(i) of the APC final guidelines for the conduct of primaries, states: “No political appointee at any level shall be a voting delegate or be voted for the purpose of the nomination of candidates. Any political office holder interested in contesting for an elective office shall leave office 30 days prior to the date of election or party primary for the office sought.”
