Presidency: I’ll Resign 30 Days To Election – Nwajiuba

ABUJA – Chukwuemeka Nwaji­uba, Minister of State for Education, has said he would likely turn up his resignation as member of the Federal Ex­ecutive Council (FEC) to con­test 2023 presidential elections within 30 days to the election.

He made the declaration in Abuja on Wednesday at an event to get his nomination and expression of interest forms of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the 2023 presidential elections.

He stated that section 82 of the Electoral Act was not binding on him, rather he was following the guidelines as stipulated by the 1999 Con­stitution.

Nwajiuba is among the first candidates with presi­dential ambition that have collected the APC nomina­tion forms for N100 million.

He made reference to Ekiti State governor, Kayo­de Fayemi, whom, he said, resigned his position as Minister of Solid Minerals four years ago after he had won the ticket of APC at the primary elections before he informed the president and members of FEC that he was leaving for Ekiti State.

He said: “I am not bothered by the call by some people for me to resign my position as Minister of State for Educa­tion, having indicated inter­est in the 2023 presidential elections. I am following what the constitution says which is the superior law of the land.”

He thanked Progressive Nigeria Group and Project Nigeria for their efforts that culminated in the purchase of the expression of interest and nomination forms assur­ing them that he has accept­ed to join the race to replace President Muhammadu Bu­hari, in 2023.

He said: “I solemnly accept to run for us all and bear our party’s flag in the elections and become our next Presi­dent.”

He, therefore, invited party men and women, and other Nigerians to forge that trust in him, as their new symbol of unity, growth, and regen­eration as we step into the future with renewed zeal and optimism.

“I do this recognising that in the last seven years, Pres­ident Muhammadu Buhari, has performed extraordi­nary feats in ensuring that our progressive ideas have been established; physical infrastructure of every type and inclusive policies reach­ing out to our poor and less privileged.

“As we strive to uplift Ni­geria and Nigerians into a de­veloped state, a lot still is out­standing and needs to be done. Many of our citizens are still outside, hungry, unemployed. Many more are threatened by unwarranted and unnec­essary internal security and economic challenges.

“Our calling today invites me to take up a work path that builds on the solid foun­dations that have been laid thus far. Provide different paradigms for new challeng­es and provide the platform for a vista that accommodates subject experts to pull togeth­er forces to meet our nation’s challenges.”

In their remarks, Alhassan Musa Aliyu of the Progres­sive Nigeria Group and Dr. Ndubusi Ugochukwu of the Project Nigeria, respectively, told Nwajiuba that the money for the form was contributed by Nigerians from different levels of the society.

They appreciated the fact that he accepted the nomina­tion form and assured him that they would work assid­uously in terms of mobili­sations and other efforts to ensure he becomes Nigeria’s next president.