Kemi Adeosun: Why I Resigned From Buhari’s Cabinet Over NYSC Controversy

Kemi Adeosun: Why I Resigned From Buhari’s Cabinet Over NYSC Controversy

Former Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, has explained that her resignation from the cabinet of former President Muhammadu Buhari in September 2018 was a principled decision aimed at protecting the Office of the Minister of Finance and preserving her personal integrity amid the NYSC exemption controversy.

Adeosun made the disclosure on Friday while appearing on Channels Television’s Inside Sources with Laolu Akande, where she addressed lingering questions surrounding her resignation and the legal issues linked to her National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) status.

According to her, stepping down was necessary to allow her defend her reputation through legal means without compromising the dignity of the office she occupied.

“People kept asking why I resigned. I still think it was the right thing to do,” Adeosun said. “My resignation was a matter of principle, not an admission of wrongdoing. I could not be attending local and international meetings as Minister of Finance and at the same time be appearing in court on issues of integrity and reputation.”

She explained that remaining in office while instituting legal action against the government would have been inappropriate and potentially damaging to Nigeria’s image.

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“I knew I would need to go to court to clear my name, and doing so was not compatible with representing Nigeria at the highest level,” she said. “I met Mr. President and told him I needed to leave to clear my name. He supported my decision.”

Adeosun stressed the long-term value of personal reputation, noting that public office should never come at the cost of one’s name.

“These names are leased from our children and grandchildren. You don’t destroy your name because you want to stay as minister,” she added.

In July 2021, a Federal High Court in Abuja ruled that Adeosun was ineligible for the NYSC scheme, stating that under the 1979 Constitution, which was in force at the time of her graduation, she was not a Nigerian citizen either at graduation or when she turned 30.

Adeosun graduated from the University of East London in 1989 at the age of 22.

The court, presided over by Justice Taiwo Taiwo, however, held that her appointment as Minister of Finance was neither illegal nor unconstitutional, even without presenting an NYSC certificate.

The court further ruled that the 1979 Constitution did not recognise dual citizenship, meaning Adeosun, who was a British citizen at the time, could not have participated in the NYSC scheme. Her Nigerian citizenship was restored under a later constitution, by which time she was already above the eligible age for service.

Kemi Adeosun: Why I Resigned From Buhari’s Cabinet Over NYSC Controversy