BREAKING: Buhari appoints seven new ministers, communicates names to Senate.

President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed replacements for the ministers who resigned in May to contest the presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The names of the seven persons nominated for the jobs have been transmitted to the Senate for screening and confirmation.

They are Mr Henry Ikechukwu Ikoh (Abia), Mr Umana Okon Umana (Akwa Ibom), Egwumakama Joseph Nkama (Ebonyi), Goodluck Nnana Opiah (Imo),
Umar Ibrahim El-Yakub (Kano), Ademola Adewole Adegoroye (Ondo) and
Odum Odih (Rivers).

Reading Buhari’s letter on the floor of the House on Tuesday, Senate President Ahmad Lawan, said the nominees would replace the former ministers who resigned from the federal cabinet to pursue their political aspirations ahead of the 2023 polls.

The letter read in part:“In accordance with Section 8 Subsection 2 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended, I hereby forward the underlisted ministerial nominees for your confirmation.”

Persecondnews recalls that about nine members of the cabinet had resigned their appointment as ministers over their political ambition, leaving the President on the lookout for other qualified Nigerians to fill up the vacuum created by their exit.

They include Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, who later backtracked and returned to office, the Minister of Niger Delta Affair, ex-Akwa lbom Gov. Godswill Akpabio, Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, and Minister of State, Niger Delta Affairs, Tayo Alasoadura.

Others are the Ministers of Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, Women Affairs Minister, Mrs Pauline Tallen (returned) Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva (returned) Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development, Uche Ogar, and the Minister of State for Education, Chief Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba.

The President had at the Federal Executive Council meeting ordered all cabinet members with political ambition to resign.

Buhari’s order was in line with the provision of Section 84(12) of the Electoral Act which provides that, “No political appointee at any level shall be a voting delegate or be voted for at the convention or congress of any political party for the purpose of the nomination of candidates for any election.”