The Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba, and the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige who have both declared their intentions to contest for the office of the president in the 2023 general elections have downplayed calls on political appointees to resign to enable them to take part in primaries of political parties next month.
They say the calls were unconstitutional, in spite of the provision of Section 84 (12) of the Electoral Act 2022) as amended.
While Nwajiuba said that the 1999 Constitution (as amended) permitted aspirants to resign 30 days before the election, Ngige said Section 84 (12) of the Electoral Act 2022 had been struck down by the court.
Nwajiuba ruled out the possibility of resigning his position ahead of the APC presidential primaries billed for May the 30th to June the 1st, while Ngige said that even if there is any order to that effect, it has not been conveyed to him and that there is a subsisting judgment from a competent court of jurisdiction striking down the electoral act provision.
