The decision was announced to them during the meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) chaired by the President at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Wednesday.
Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, confirmed this to state house correspondents at the end of the FEC meeting.
He said he did not have the mandate to talk on the fate of other political appointees who are also vying for elective positions but are not members of the cabinet.
Only the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo is excluded whom he affirmed was an elected official.
Rotimi Amaechi, Ogbonnaya Onu, Emeka Nwajiuba, Chris Ngige and Timipre Sylva, Godswill Akpabio are by this directive expected to resign their ministerial positions since they have already picked up their expression of interest and nomination forms for the presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Others are the Minister of State Mines and Steel, Uche Ogar, who is running for governorship position in Abia State, the Minister of Women Affairs, Paulline Tallen, who declared her ambition to contest for the senatorial seat in Plateau State as well as the Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami who is being rumoured to be interested in contesting for governorship in Kebbi stste.
Meanwhile, Transport Minister, Rotimi Amaechi, Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Ogbonnaya Onu and Minister for Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, as well as Minister of State for Education, Prof. Emeka Nwajiuba, have resigned their posts in the federal government cabinet.
The ministers separately announced their resignations shortly after President Muhammadu Buhari gave political appointees who intend to contest for elective offices in the forthcoming 2023 general election until May 16, for to resign from their positions.
Tendering his resignation letter, yesterday, Nwajiuba expressed his gratitude to President Buhari for giving him an opportunity to serve in his administration.
According to him, no sacrifice is so much for his “lofty dream of becoming the next president of Nigeria.”
A highly reliable source said Onu visited Office of Secretary to Government of the Federation to drop his resignation.
Speaking on behalf of Akpabio, his Personal Assistant on Media, Jackson Udom, said “the minister has resigned. He has submitted his resignation letter to the SGF. We are waiting for him at the ICC, where he is coming to submit his nomination form.”
It will be recalled that President Buhari, yesterday, ordered all members of his cabinet and appointees vying for electoral offices to resign on or before May 16, 2022.
The order came during the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting he presided over in State House, Abuja.
Members of Buhari’s cabinet affected by the order include Ministers of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi; Niger Delta, Godswill Akpabio; Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige; Science, Technology and Innovation, Ogbonnaya Onu, Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba; Justice minister and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami.
Others include Minister of State, Mines and Steel, Uche Ogar, who is running for governorship position in Abia State; Minister of Women Affairs, Pauline Tallen, who declared her ambition for a senatorial seat in Plateau State.
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