Information Minister Dora Akunyili told reporters: "The council (of ministers) commends the National Assembly for their action and pledges to support the acting president in his onerous responsibility of steering the ship of the nation."
Reading out resolutions of a cabinet meeting, she said the ministers accepted the parliamentary resolution "that the vice president, Goodluck Jonathan, becomes and acting president and commander-in-chief of the armed forces."
Until last week, the cabinet had always maintained that ailing President Umaru Yar'Adua was not sufficiently incapacitated to warrant his removal from office.
The two houses of the national assembly on Tuesday voted to make Jonathan acting head-of-state in place of Yar'Adua, hospitalised in Saudi Arabia since November 23 for an acute heart condition.
In his maiden broadcast late Tuesday as acting president, Jonathan, 52, said that the circumstances that led to his assuming the new office were "uncommon, sober and reflective."
He commended the lawmakers for their "great courage, statesmanship and patriotism," in arriving at their decision.
Wednesday, his first day in office, Jonathan effected a minor cabinet reshuffle, redeploying the controversial Justice Minister Michael Aondoakaa to obscure Special Duties ministry.
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