Only Buhari can determine fate of Malami, Ngige, other returning ministers – Lai Mohammed

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, said on Wednesday only President Muhammadu Buhari can determine fate of ministers who shelved their political ambitions.

The minister stated this when he fielded questions from State House correspondents at the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in Abuja.

President Buhari had last Wednesday directed ministers and other political appointees with designs on the 2023 elections to leave their positions latest by May 16.

He later held a valedictory session with 10 ministers at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The session was attended Rotimi Amaechi (Transportation), Godswill Akpabio (Niger Delta); Ogbonnaya Onu (Science, Technology and Innovation), Timipre Sylva (Petroleum), and Chris Ngige (Labour and Employment).

Others are Abubakar Malami (Attorney-General and Minister of Justice), Uche Ogah (Mines and Steel Development,), Pauline Tallen (Women Affairs) and Tayo Alasoadura (Niger Delta).

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The Minister of State (Education), Emeka Nwajiuba, who had earlier tendered his resignation, was not present at the valedictory session.

Amaechi, Akpabio and Onu had also resigned from the cabinet.

While Sylva, Ngige, Malami and Tallen had dropped their 2023 ambitions.

Mohammed said: “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 cross check. I need to confirm again from Mr. President what the situation is. You see the final decision on who is going, who’s coming back, who’s not going lies with Mr. President.”

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