APC’s election guidelines scuttle Bashir Jamoh’s governorship ambition 

A new set of guidelines rolled out by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has effectively ended the ambition of the Director General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMSA), Bashir Jamoh, to contest the governorship election of Kaduna State. 

In January, during a press briefing at the NIMASA head office in Apapa, Lagos, Jamoh said he had been called by his people to serve them “at the state level”.

“I love the maritime industry. I have a great passion for it and I can work in it for the rest of my life, but my people want me to serve them at the state level. I will not fail them. It would be unfair to do that so I will avail them of my services at the state.

“If they also want me to serve them at the federal level, I will also not disappoint them; I will go and serve them. So, it is not only about what I want for myself but what my people want me to do for them,” he said while answering questions on his governorship ambition.

However, despite his interest in the Kaduna governor’s seat, Jamoh did not find the courage to resign as NIMASA Director-General. Instead, he had been spending most of his time in Abuja and Kaduna meeting with politicians while neglecting his primary assignment. 

“He is in the (NIMASA) office only once or twice a week. Most times he is in Abuja or Kaduna,” a senior staff of NIMASA told SHIPS & PORTS on condition of anonymity. 

But according to the new guidelines issued by APC on Tuesday, all political appointees with intentions to contest for 2023 elective positions must resign 30 days before the primary election.

According to the ruling party’s timetable, governorship, senate, federal and state assembly primary elections to select candidates for the general elections will hold between May 18 and 23, meaning that appointees for such positions who are yet to resign by today would have lost whatever was left of their chances to contest in the primaries. 

The party’s new guideline is also in tandem with section 84(12) of the new Electoral Act, which bars serving political appointees from voting or being voted for in primary elections. 

The new guideline also automatically leaves the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi and his labour ministry counterpart, Chris Ngige, who are gunning for the 2023 presidency, with just three days to resign or forget their ambitions.