Minister of State for Petroleum, Chief Timipre Sylva, has dropped out of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential race and returned to work.
According to a news correspondent who was present at the ministry in Abuja on Monday, Sylva withdrew after considering the enormity of the task at hand.
According to news reports, the Northern Solidarity Group presented the minister with the APC’s Expression of Interest and Nomination form on May 9, allowing him to run in the party’s presidential primaries in 2023.
According to a ministry official who requested anonymity, Sylva withdrew from the race to support President Muhammadu Buhari in his efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s oil sector.
“He promised to consult the leader of the country and his political leaders the day he was presented with the form.
“He believes that concentrating on his work will attract more investments for the oil and gas sector.
“He has consulted and he believes that the challenges at the ministry and oil and gas sector are enough issues for him to begin to deal with now than going to pursue presidential ambition at the expense of the nation.
“The oil and gas sector is the mainstay of the economy and it is not like any other ministry somebody can just come in and take over.
“It requires some measures of time for the person to understand what is happening in the system.
“For the interest of the industry and the nation, he has decided to wave that personal ambition to see what he can contribute in the remaining part of President Buhari’s administration.
“The implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act 2021 is very critical and he wants to continue to make his own contribution to the day-to-day running of the country and support Mr President for robust achievements,” the official said.
When contacted by newsmen, Mr Horatious Egua, Senior Special Assistant to the Minister on Media, confirmed that the minister was back to work.
