Murtala Ajaka, the APC’s deputy national publicity secretary, has chastised Labour Minister Chris Ngige for his remarks about Tinubu. In a television interview, Ngige declined to name his preferred presidential candidate among Tinubu and Labour Party’s Peter Obi. Ajaka stated that if the serving minister is unable to support his party’s presidential candidate, he should resign.
In a television interview, Ngige refused to say whether he would support Tinubu or Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate.
The labour minister called the question “difficult,” adding that both are his friends and that his “choice will be in the ballot box.”
Ajaka stated that Ngige should resign if he cannot support Tinubu, the APC presidential candidate. In a statement issued on Saturday, October 8, Ajaka stated that the APC presidential primary election had long concluded and that the party had settled on Tinubu. He also stated that all party leaders should put their ambitions aside in order to deliver the party’s presidential ticket in 2023.
His words:
“It is expected of a serving minister in an APC government to be a trusted Apostle of Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s presidency in 2023, who along other party leaders laboured to ensure the enthronement of the same government in 2015 which they are now serving in.
“Chief Ngige and other APC appointees, especially in the federal cabinet should not forget in a hurry that they are holding onto party’s mandate, hence the need to protect it with whatever it requires, but if they can no longer protect the interest of the APC in public and that of our presidential candidate (Tinubu), I think the honourable thing to do is to step aside from the government formed by the APC.”