PHOTOS: Malami, Tallen, ministers who dropped political bids, attend FEC meeting

Abubakar Malami, attorney-general of the federation (AGF); Pauline Tallen, women affairs minister, and Timipre Sylva, minister of state for petroleum resources, attended the federal executive council (FEC) meeting on Wednesday.

The FEC meeting was held at the council chamber in the presidential villa.

Malami, Tallen (who attended the meeting virtually) and Sylva were seeking elective office in the 2023 elections.

The ministers, including Chris Ngige, minister of labour, dropped their bids following President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive that those seeking elective offices should resign on or before May 16.

Buhari bade farewell to the ministers who had resigned to pursue their political aspirations last week.

Ngige was not present at the FEC meeting.

Before the business of the day, the cabinet members observed a one-minute silence in honour of Olawole Adeniji Ige, former minister of communications in the regime of Ibrahim Babangida.

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo and Boss Mustapha, secretary to the government of the federation (SGF), physically attended the meeting at the council chambers.

Some of those who were physically present at the meeting include Ibrahim Gambari, chief of staff to the president; Babagana Munguno, national security adviser (NSA); Lai Mohammed, information minister; and Zainab Ahmed, finance minister; among others.