There are indications that ministers and political office holders who had nursed some political ambitions may have decided to jettison such ambitions and chose rather to “stay put” on their beat as a result of some uncertainties outside their present offices.

BusinessDay gathered that the ministers and other office holders, who had been advised by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to resign if they had any ambition for 2027, are weighing the options.

One of the major reasons for the heart palpitations in the corridors of power in Abuja at the moment is the fear that tickets may not be given to them to pursue their ambition, and that the shrinking political space in the country has made it difficult for such individuals to move into other parties to prosecute their ambition.

BusinessDay also gathered that some of the affected ministers are afraid that they may not get the ticket of their party owing to the alleged secret pact President Tinubu had with state governors on the party platform.

“With what is going on and the rate at which the governors are aligning with the President in whatever he does or says, there is every indication that he may even dictate to the governors who picks what ticket in their various states. Such tickets may also be a bargaining chip for some other political patronage,” a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who, craved anonymity, said.

It was gathered that the many appointees in the Tinubu administration may have decided to operate on the principle of “a bird at hand worth two in the bush,” hence, they have decided to hold tightly to their current positions.

Recall that in line with the provisions of Section 88(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026, the President had, through the office of George Akume, Secretary to the Government of the Federation SGF, directed all political appointees under his administration who intend to contest elective offices in the forthcoming 2027 general election to resign their appointments on or before March 31, 2026.

The directive is also in compliance with the timetable issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for party primaries ahead of the 2027 general election.

Those affected include Ministers, Ministers of State, Special Advisers to the President, Senior Special Assistants to the President, Special Assistants the President, Personal Assistants to the President, All Directors-General, and Chief Executive Officers of Federal Government Parastatals, Agencies, Commissions, and Government-owned Companies, as well as all Other Political Appointees of the President.

But one of the ministers who had earlier indicated interest while speaking with BusinessDay on the issue in strict confidence, noted that the current governors have been given “enormous powers” to decide their successors or who gets what in the state.

“The governors have the yams and the knives, so they could choose to do whatever they like with it,” the minister said.

“The governors are sticking to the old habits of ensuring that their trusted allies succeed them,” the minister added.

The President Tinubu-led APC recently embarked on massive recruitment of governors from the opposition parties, which has increased the number of governors on the platform to about 33, with the exception of those of Oyo, Osun and Abia States.

BusinessDay also gathered that apart from taking over the APC structures in their states, the governors were given powers to determine those who run for elective positions, to ensure that APC candidates are returned elected.

The understanding Is that since the country runs a federal system of government, the governors are accountable for the resources of the states and can determine how they are applied.

Thus, political pundits believe that the governors will play crucial roles in determining who emerge as candidates for the various elective offices.

Abubakar Kari, a professor of Sociology at the University of Abuja, in his assessment, blamed the drift towards a one-party state for the current situation.

“By their design, the current political structure favours the governors and that is why many of them moved to the APC.

“This is what you get when you destroy the institution that was established to strengthen democracy.

“The governors also want to secure their positions. Everybody is battling to hold on to power, especially as they know that the electoral umpire and even the judiciary cannot protect them when they are out of office,” Kari said.

Ibrahim Tahir, former chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), in Adamawa State, described the development as “tough” for the political appointees, especially with the current state of opposition parties in the country.

“It will be ill-advised for me to encourage anyone to resign now unless they have assurances that they will secure the tickets.

“Worst still is the fact that you do not have any other credible opposition to run to, in case you lose the APC ticket. So, any attempt to resign without proper assurance will be suicidal,” he said. (BusinessDay)

Update news