May 18, (THEWILL) – The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malam,i as well as his Women Affairs counterpart, Pauline Tallen, are back to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, presided over on Wednesday by President Muhammadu Buhari.
This comes after they had attended the valedictory session hosted by President Muhammadu Buhari for all ministers with the ambition to contest elective positions in the 2023 elections.
Malami and other ministers, who indicated interests in contesting various offices in 2023 general elections, were asked to resign their appointments by the President
The AGF had indicated interest for the gubernatorial ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kebbi State, while Tallen was set to bid for the Plateau South Senatorial ticket under the same party.
Following the President’s directive to ambitious ministers to leave the cabinet, both ministers, as well as their Labour and Employment and State Petroleum Resources counterparts, Chris Ngige and Timipre Sylva, withdrew from the political contests after the President bid 10 of them farewell.
While the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, was part of those physically attending the meeting at the council chambers, Tallen and Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, joined virtually.
Senator Ngige is on an official visit to South Africa, where he is attending the International Labour Organisation (ILO) global conference on Child Labour in Durban.
Others, physically in attendance are the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo; Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha;, Head of the Service of the Federation (HOCSF), Dr Folasade Yemi-Esan, Chief of Staff to the President, Prof Ibrahim Gambari, and National Security Adviser, Major General Babagana Munguno (retd).
Other Ministers who are also in attendance include the Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed; Power, Abubakar Aliyu; Federal Capital Territory, Mohammed Bello; Aviation, Hadi Sirika; Communication and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami; Environment, Mohammed Abdullahi; Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed; Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, and Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama.
Meanwhile, before the FEC meeting commenced, a minute’s silence was held in honour of the former Minister of communications under Gen. Ibrahim Babangida regime, Olawole Adeniji Ige, who died aged 83.
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