April 22, (THEWILL) — The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, is set to resign his position in the coming days following a closed-door meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, formally clearing the way for his participation in the 2027 Oyo State governorship race.
The development, confirmed in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Strategic Communications and Media Relations, Tunji Bolaji, brings clarity to weeks of uncertainty surrounding Adelabu’s political future and compliance with a presidential directive requiring cabinet members with electoral ambitions to step down.
THEWILL reports that President Tinubu had, on March 17, directed all political appointees seeking elective positions in the 2027 polls to resign on or before March 31, 2026. The directive was conveyed in a presidential statement issued by Dewan Goshit, Head of Information and Public Relations at the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF).
The statement noted that the order is anchored on Section 88(1) of the Electoral Act 2026, which requires public office holders to step down ahead of party primaries. It added that the directive aligns with the timetable released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the conduct of party primaries, reinforcing transparency and fairness in the electoral process.
Adelabu’s decision to remain in office beyond that timeline had raised questions about policy consistency and adherence to the directive, particularly as some other ministers with similar ambitions had already exited their positions. His continued stay was widely interpreted in some quarters as a sign that he had either shelved his ambition or secured a delayed exit arrangement.
According to the statement, President Tinubu granted the minister “consent and blessing” to pursue his governorship ambition, effectively ending speculation that had intensified after the March 31 deadline reportedly set for politically exposed appointees to resign.
Adelabu, a former Deputy Governor of Operations at the Central Bank of Nigeria, previously contested the Oyo State governorship election twice—first under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2019, and later on the platform of the Accord Party in 2023.
His tenure as Minister of Power, has been characterised by persistent grid failure triggering nationwide electricity blackout across the country. Adelabu also pushed ongoing power reforms and stakeholder engagements to improve Nigeria’s electricity generation and distribution.
At the engagement, with the President, Adelabu presented a report on his stewardship of the power sector, outlining policy initiatives and reform efforts undertaken during his tenure. Central to his presentation was the National Integrated Electricity Policy (NIEP), alongside its Strategic Implementation Plan (SIP), and a Medium- to Long-Term Integrated Resource Plan.
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