***Leaves Ameachi, Ngige with 72 hours to resign or forget ambitions
The leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Tuesday may have scuttled alleged ambition of the Attorney general of the Federation, Abubakar Malami with a new guideline.
The same thing goes for other political appointees with intentions to contest for Governorship, senate, House of Reps following a new electoral rule of engagement.
The guideline is saying that all political appointees who aspire to participate in its primary elections at all levels must resign at least 30 days to the conduct of the primaries.
The party’s new guideline is also in tandem with section 84(10) of the new electoral act that demanded that all political appointees with ambition to take part in party primary election must resign 30 days to the said election.
It would be recalled that Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation Abubakar Malami was widely believed to be interested in governorship position for his home state of Kebbi.
With the new guidelines and stipulated time frame for resignation, Malami no longer has any chance.
By implication, the new guideline has also scuttled the ambitions of aspirants for different elective positions who have not resigned from their appointments as of today (Tuesday April 25, 2022).
Governorship, Senate, federal and state assembly primary elections to select APC candidates for the general elections, according to the party’s timetable, will hold between May 18 and 23, meaning that appointees for such positions who are yet to resign by today would have lost whatever was left of their chances to contest in the primaries.
It has also automatically left some of President Muhammadu Buhari’s appointees like Transport Minister Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi and his Labour counterpart Chris Ngige who are gunning for the 2023 presidency with just 3 days to resign or forget their ambitions.
This is in consideration of the fact that the APC primary election for Presidency, according to the ruling party’s timetable has been scheduled to hold between May 30 and June 1.
Section 3(i) of the APC’s final guidelines for the conduct of primaries, as of Tuesday indicated that
”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.”