Ngige

By Ngozi Onyeakusi— The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Nwabueze Ngige has withdrawn his initial intention to contest for the presidential ticket of the APC and would continue as a minister in President Muhammadu Buhari’s cabinet.

The former Anambra State governor announced his withdrawal from the 2023 presidential race via a statement titled, ‘Withdrawal of my presidential ambition’ released on Friday evening.

The Minister said his decision to withdraw from the race has been communicated to the President and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).

Ngige had sometime in April in his Anambra State made a dramatised show of his intention to run for the presidential ticket with traditional dance troupes that took him round some streets where he voiced promises of how he would fix Nigeria as the next president.
The medical doctor however, in a twist, announced his withdrawal from the race in a letter he made public which content he said he had discussed with President Muhammadu Buhari.
The letter was written on May 13.
Ngige was among the ministers and political appointees who were handed a directive by Buhari on Wednesday to resign immediately to go pursue their campaign and election project.
In his letter written on the official letterhead of the Minister of Labour and Employment, a sign that he remains in office, he said that he has consulted with his family, constituency and all and also discussed with the president to drop his presidential ambition.
As a result of his retreat from the race, Ngige remains in office as minister and would not have a reason to resign like others who already did.
Those that had handed in their resignation include Emeka Nwajiuba, Education, Godswill Akpabio, Niger Delta, Ogbonnaya Onu, Science and Technology, and others