Timipre Sylva, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, has been forced to resign from President Muhammadu Buhari‘s cabinet, according to reports.
Mr Sylva, a former governor of Bayelsa State, was said to have been forced to submit his resignation letter to Boss Mustapha, the secretary to the government of the federation (SGF), late Friday, two days after President Buhari instructed all of his appointees seeking elective positions in the 2023 general elections to resign their current positions.
According to a source at the All Progressives Congress (APC) national secretariat in Abuja, the minister filed his N100 million nomination and expression of interest papers on Friday.
On Monday, supporters of the minister purchased the forms for him. Accepting the nomination forms, Sylva stated that he will speak with leaders of the oil-rich Niger Delta area, including Chief Edwin Clark, and other political friends before choosing whether to run for president.
Meanwhile, vice-president Yemi Osinbajo, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina, immediate-past Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, and Senate President Ahmad Lawan were among those who beat the deadline to submit nomination forms on Friday.
Former Transportation Minister Rotimi Amaechi, former Niger Delta Development Minister Godswill Akpabio, former Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha, and former Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun were also on the list.
Pastor Tunde Bakare; Cross River State governor, Prof. Ben Ayade; his Ebonyi State counterpart, Gov. Dave Umahi; Chairman, Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) and Ekiti State governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi; Minister of State, Education, Hon. Emeka Nwajiuba; former Senate President, Sen. Ken Nnamani; Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello; Jigawa State Governor Mohammed Badaru Abuba
Senator Ajayi Borroffice, the lone female candidate, Mrs Uju Kennedy Ohnenye, Pastor Nicholas Felix Nwagbo, former House of Representatives Speaker Dimeji Bankole, former Minister of Information, Chief Ikeobasi Mokelu, and Mr Tein Jack Rich also filed.
