President Muhammadu Buhari has directed all serving ministers, heads of government agencies, departments, parastatals; ambassadors and other political appointees with political ambitions for the forthcoming 2023 general elections to resign from their respective positions, including the embattled Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Godwin Emefiele.
The directive was contained in a circular, dated May 11, 2022 with Ref. No.SGF/OP/l/S.3/Xll/173, and issued by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha.
In the circular, Buhari said the government had observed and noted that some members of the Federal Executive Council, Heads of Extra-Ministerial departments, agencies, parastatals of government, ambassadors and other political office holders have purchased nomination forms to contest the upcoming Presidential, Gubernatorial, National and State Assemblies’ elections.
The circular was addressed to all serving ministers, Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, National Security Adviser, Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission, Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission, Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Chairman, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, among others.
The President said with the development it became imperative that all appointees aspiring to run for various offices in the 2023 General Elections, tender their resignation on or before Monday, May 16, 2022.
The circular partly reads, “For the avoidance of doubt, this directive affects all Ministers, Heads and Members of Extra-Ministerial Departments, Agencies and Parastatals of Government, Ambassadors as well as other political appointees who desire to contest for elective offices. For smooth running of the machinery of government and our foreign Missions, affected Ministers are to hand over to Ministers of State where they exist or to the Permanent Secretary, where there is no Minister of State. Ambassadors shall hand over to their Deputy Heads of Mission or the most Senior Foreign Service Officer in line with established practices.
“Similarly, Heads of Extra-Ministerial Departments, Agencies and Parastatals are to hand over to the most senior Director/Officer as may be peculiar to the organisation, in line with the service wide Circular No. SGF.50/S. Il/C.2/268 of 4th December, 2017.”
Recall that Buhari had on Wednesday, during a Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, directed all his cabinet members with ambitions to contest in the 2023 general elections to vacate their seats.
The president, in a fresh circular has now extended the order to include all political appointees in government.
With the development, the directive will affect the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele who is reportedly nursing ambition to contest for presidency in 2023.
The New Diplomat had reported that Emefiele has been in the news over his reported controversial ambition to contest for President under the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The controversies came to fore after three support groups bought APC’s N100m presidential nomination and expression of interest forms for the CBN governor.
