Akpabio resigns from Buhari’s cabinet, says he is still in presidential race

Minister of the Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, on Wednesday, announced his resignation from the cabinet of President Muhammadu Buhari and also announced that contrary to belief in some quarters, he was still in the presidential race.

President Buhari had, on Wednesday afternoon, ordered ministers in his cabinet who had political ambition to resign from the government and following his announcement, there were reports in the media that Akpabio had dropped his presidential ambition, preferring to be in the cabinet.

However, Akpabio, speaking through his Chief Press Secretary, Jackson Udom, on Wednesday evening, disclosed that contrary to the report, he had actually resigned from the cabinet in order to pursue his presidential aspiration.

According to the statement by Udom: “Our attention has been drawn to mischievously written news stories making the rounds that the leading presidential aspirant, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has purportedly withdrawn from the presidential race. This is a joke carried too far.

“This is certainly the handiwork of those who are scared of contesting  against Senator Godswill Akpabio.

“Senator Akpabio has resigned his appointment as Minister, Niger Delta Affairs Ministry and will soon submit his nomination form at the International Conference Centre, Abuja, in line with his party’s guidelines.

“For those behind this lies and falsehood, we advise that they should learn to live with the reality, that Senator  Akpabio is fully in the race, not only for the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket, but to emerge the next democratically elected President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”