LESS than 24 hours to expiration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu‘s directive to public office holders and appointees eyeing elective offices to turn in their resignations, there is yet a compliance in sight .

The president,through the Secretary to the Governement of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume last week , ordered all his appointees to vacate their offices March , 31 2026 should any of them nurses am ambition to contest the 2027 general elections, but Guardian checks reveal that none of the appointees has made the bold move.

State Governments including Benue, Kano, Edo and others have issued similar directives to appointees .

Section 84(12) of the Electoral Act 2022 as amended requires political appointees to resign before participating in party primaries, conventions, or congresses.

The just concluded confesses and national conventions of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the faction of the People’s Democratic party (PDP) led by minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesome Wike have both been conducted with high visibility and participation of political appointees while they still hold their appointments .

Section 84(12) clearly states that : “No political appointee at any level shall be a voting delegate or be voted for at the convention or congress of any political party for the purpose of the nomination of candidates for any election.”

Those stand affected by the provisions of the Electoral Act includes ministers, commissioners, special advisers, heads of parastatals and agencies at both federal and state levels

Source in the presidency told The Guardian that the President’s directive should never have been necessary because the Electoral Act is self explanatory ,” but Mr President had reiterate so that no one will be in doubt and because most of his cabinet members including his Chief of Staff ,Hon Femi Gbajabiamila and his deputy chief of staff all have ambitions .

“we therefore expected the likes of the minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu who wants to be Governor of Oyo state to have resigned by now but he is still sitting there. Ali Pate and Yusuf Tuggar who are ministers of Health and Foreign Affairs both want to be Governor of Bauchi state but none have resigned .”

According to sources the directive was to prevent political appointees from holding onto their positions while participating as delegates or contestants to ensure a level playing field for all aspirants and prevent the use of public funds and influence of their offices for personal gain.

Guardian checks also reveal that the minister of Agriculture, senator Abubakar Kyari eyes Borno state Governorship, Executive Secretary of Nigerian Shippers Council , Pius Akuta eyes Benue Governorship , Executive Director Finance and Accounts at the Federal Housing Authority (FHA)Dr Mathias Byuan has his eyes on Benue Governorship , Director General, National Orientation Agency (NOA) Dr Issa Onilu, professor Abubakar Suleiman who is the Director General of Nigeria Institutes of Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) both wants to be Governor of Kwara state .

The minister of state for Labour , Nkiruka Onyejeocha, minister of Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani all have Governorship ambitions in their various states of Abia and Ogun respectively .

While none of the appointees have resigned with less than 24 hours to the expiration of President Tinubu’s directive a serving minister told The Guardian that: “in the APC it will be difficult for any of us to just resign when you are not sure the President will back your ambition . Infact if you make it obviously known that you are popular and can do it with his blessings you are already finished so we are in a very tight position . This is clearly in favour of those already elected because they but required to resign .

“Most of us may not resign and whoever that resigns must have full assurances of the President but what I see is that people from outside will make it because whether we like it or not , the president believes he has settled those of us he appointed .

“As for me I will not resign I have consulted my family and we have agreed that a bird in hand is worth more than 2 in the bush . It is not funny but that is the reality .”

The legal consequence of Non-Compliance to Section 84(13) is that any political party that violates provision in its primaries shall not have its candidate included in the general election.