The ruling All Progressives Congress has ordered all its members currently holding political appointments and seeking participation in its forthcoming primaries must resign from their positions in accordance with the provisions of the Electoral Act.
APC issued the order to the aspiring members at a meeting on Friday.
Section 84 (12) of the Electoral Act provides that political appointees, including ministers/commissioners and special advisers, must resign from their positions to qualify to participate in the convention of the party, either as delegates or contestants.
The ministers that are likely to be affected by this directive include Rotimi Amaechi, the minister of Transport, who has declared his intention to run for the presidency; Abubakar Malami, the Minister of Justice, who is rumoured to be interested in the governorship position in Kebbi State, and Dr Chris Ngige, the Minister of Labour, who is said to be interested in the Presidency as well.
The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, is also rumoured to be interested in the presidential ticket but is yet to make this known.
So far, Amaechi is the only Minister who has openly declared an interest in the presidential ticket on the platform of the APC.
At the state level, many appointees are said to have resigned in accordance with the June 3 cut-off date set by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the parties to complete their primaries fast approaching.
Section 84 (12) of the Electoral Act has been the subject of a running controversy. President Buhari, while signing the Act, did point out that it was in conflict with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution, and went further to request the National Assembly to amend the Act appropriately.
But his request and a letter that followed it were rebuffed by the National Assembly. The members even went to court to appeal against the ruling of a Federal High Court, Umuahia, which recently voided the controversial section and asked the Attorney General of the Federation to expunge it from the Act.
APC has slated its post-Convention meeting for April 20, at which the issue of this provision in the Electoral Act is expected to be discussed.
The party, in the notice of the meeting, said: “Pursuant to Article 25.2.ii of the Constitution of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the National Working Committee (NWC) hereby invites members of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of our great party to a meeting to consider the Party’s Timetable/Schedule of Activities for Primaries for the nomination of candidates for the 2023 General Elections and other relevant business of the Party.
“All members of the NEC are by this invitation to take notice of the meeting in accordance with Article 12.3 of the APC Constitution, please,” according to the official notice/invitation for the NEC meeting.
