Timipre Sylva, Minister of State for Petroleum, has withdrawn from the 2023 presidential race in the All Progressives Congress (APC) and has returned to work.

Vanguard reported on Monday, citing unnamed sources from the ministry. 

“He promised to consult the leader of the country and his political leaders the day he was presented with the form,” Vanguard reported, “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.”

Mr Sylva joins Chris Ngige, the labour minister, to withdraw from the presidential race and continue serving the Buhari administration as a minister.

On Friday, the Minister of State (Mines and Steel Development) Uche Ogar dropped out of the presidential race. Other Ministers who withdrew from the presidential ambitions include Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba; Minister of Science and Technology Ogbonnaya Onu and Godswill Akpabio, Minister of Niger Delta Affairs.

In April, the ruling All Progressives Congress gave a 72-hour ultimatum to political appointees wishing to contest positions in the 2023 general elections to resign ahead of party’s presidential primary set to hold between May 30 and June 1.

Last week, President Muhammadu Buhari ordered that all political appointees serving in his administration were to resign from office.

This was done despite a Court of Appeal ruling that allowed appointees to remain in office until 30 days before the general elections, slated for February 2023.

Several ministers and aides to the president, including Attorney-General Abubakar Malami and Rotimi Amaechi, are currently seeking political offices in the upcoming general elections.