Buhari silent as Malami, Sylva, others return to work

President Muhammadu Buhari has kept mute as his ministers who participated in last Friday’s valedictory Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, returned to the council on Wednesday.

The ministers were either physically present in yesterday’s meeting or participated virtually from their offices. They include Abubakar Malami, minister of justice and attorney-general of the federation, who attended physically, while Pauline Tallen, minister of women affairs, and Timipre Sylva, minister of state for petroleum resources, joined the meeting virtually from their offices.

BusinessDay learnt that Chris Ngige, minister of labour and employment, is currently representing Nigeria at the meeting of the International Labour Organisations (ILO), in South Africa.

The four ministers were among other cabinet members seeking to contest various elective positions in the 2023 general elections.

Chris Ngige and Timipre Sylva had earlier picked the All Progressive Congress (APC) presidential nomination forms to contest the party’s 2023 presidential primaries.

Abubakar Malami also picked the APC forms to contest the Kebbi state governorship primaries, while Pauline Tallen picked the forms to contest the Plateau South Senatorial elections ticket of the ruling APC.

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Buhari had given all aspirant cabinet members up to Monday, May 16, to resign in order to pursue their political aspirations. The president subsequently met the aspirant ministers on Friday, May 13 in a valedictory FEC meeting and wished them well in their future endeavours.

But soon after the farewell meeting, Chris Ngige, Timipre Sylva, Pauline Tallen and Abubakar Malami announced the withdrawal of their aspirations, opting to keep their jobs as ministers.

Lai Mohammed, minister of information and culture, who fielded questions from State House journalists after the FEC meeting presided over by the president, said he needed more time to get clearance before speaking on the issue.

“The other question about ministers returning or not going, I think you need to give me more time so that I can tell you exactly what the situation is.

“Right now, I need to crosscheck. I need to confirm again from Mr President what the situation is. The final decision on who is going, who is coming back? Who is not going lies with the president,” Mohammed said.

Wednesday’s FEC meeting took off as soon as President Muhammadu Buhari walked into the Council Chambers at about 9.56am.

Secretary to the government of the federation, Boss Mustapha kick-started the activities for the day, as he formally announced the death of the former minister of communications, Olawale Ige, for whom the council observed a one-minute silence.