UPDATED: Adelabu resigns as power minister

The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has resigned from office, taking effect from the end of April.

He resigned on Wednesday, stepping down from his position in the Federal Executive Council, signalling his plan to contest the next Oyo State governorship election.

Mr Adelabu’s resignation, contained in a letter dated 22 April and addressed to President Bola Tinubu, is expected to take effect from 30 April. He said the timeline would allow for an orderly transition and handover of responsibilities in the ministry.

The letter was transmitted through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

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In the correspondence, Mr Adelabu expressed appreciation to the president for the opportunity to serve in the cabinet, describing his appointment as a privilege.

He said serving as Minister of Power had given him the opportunity to contribute to national development, particularly in reforms within the electricity sector.

“I write with a deep sense of honour and profound gratitude to formally tender my resignation as the Honourable Minister of Power of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. This resignation is to take effect on 30th April 2026, in order to allow sufficient time for a smooth and orderly handover of responsibilities.

“Your Excellency, I remain sincerely grateful for the privilege and confidence you reposed in me by appointing me to serve our great nation in this capacity,

“It has been a rare honour to contribute to national development under your leadership and to play a role in advancing reforms in the power sector—one of the most critical foundations of Nigeria’s industrial growth and economic transformation,” he wrote.

Mr Adelabu, however, said he was leaving office to concentrate on his political ambition in Oyo State, where he is expected to contest the 2027 governorship election.

President Tinubu had earlier given all political appointees aspiring to contest elections in 2027 a 31 March deadline to resign. Some appointees, including former Minister of Foreign Affairs Yusuf Tuggar, have since resigned from their positions in compliance with the directive.

Mr Adelabu’s resignation is coming about three weeks after the deadline had passed.

He noted that his aspiration to govern the state predates his current appointment, recalling his earlier political interest during his time as Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

According to him, the decision to resign was also guided by provisions of the amended Electoral Act, which restricts serving political office holders from participating in elections.

“My decision to step down is informed by my intention to focus fully on my gubernatorial ambition in Oyo State. This aspiration, which dates back to 2016 during my service as Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, ultimately led to my voluntary resignation from the Central Bank in 2018 in order to pursue the same goal.

“In line with the provisions of the Amended Electoral Act 2026, which preclude political office holders from contesting elections, I consider it both appropriate and necessary to resign at this time,” he said.

Outing as power minister

Nigeria’s power supply remains poor under Mr Adelabu’s watch.

Power generation has fluctuated between about 3,900MW and 5,500MW depending on gas supply and grid conditions.

In 2026, average output has largely hovered around 4,300MW to 4,900MW, still far below demand in Africa’s most populous country as citizens groan

Even when generation rises, transmission constraints and weak distribution infrastructure prevent stable delivery to consumers, resulting in frequent outages and grid collapse.

These have had an intense negative impact on citizens’ lives and businesses.

In March, he tendered a public apology to Nigerians over persistent, crippling outages that worsened between February and March.

He admitted the blackout had compounded the hardship suffered by across homes, businesses, schools and industries, coinciding with the peak of scorching dry-season heat.

But the minister also gave his administration of the power sector a passing grade.

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“I am excelling on the job, and that is my priority for now, tackling foreseen, known and unforeseen challenges in the power sector,” he said.

Downplaying his interest in running for governor, he said, “Resolving the power supply challenges is my priority for now.”

“We have between now and March 31 if I am interested in the governorship contest in Oyo State,” he added.

It remains unclear why Mr Adelabu allowed the 31 March deadline to pass before tendering his resignation letter.

Oyo governorship race

Mr Adelabu first contested the Oyo State governorship election in 2019 on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), where he lost to incumbent Governor Seyi Makinde of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

He returned to the governorship race in 2023, this time under the Accord Party, after leaving the APC. He again lost to Governor Makinde, who secured a second term.

Following the 2023 general elections, Mr Adelabu rejoined the APC. He was subsequently appointed Minister of Power by President Tinubu in August 2023.

Mr Adelabu’s chances in the Oyo APC governorship race remain closely tied to the party’s yet-to-be-concluded primary process, which will ultimately determine its flag bearer ahead of the 2027 elections.