Nigeria’s Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has resigned from his position to focus on his ambition to become governor of Oyo State.
His resignation, dated April 22, 2026, was addressed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, with the exit set to take effect on April 30 to allow for a smooth handover.
In his letter, Adelabu expressed gratitude for the opportunity to serve, describing his role in the power sector as a privilege. He noted that his governorship ambition dates back to 2016, long before his ministerial appointment, and said stepping down now aligns with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026, which bars political appointees from contesting elections while in office.
Adelabu is the third minister to leave the Federal Executive Council within 48 hours, following the exits of Wale Edun and Ahmed Dangiwa. The Presidency, however, clarified that both men resigned voluntarily, countering earlier reports that they were removed.
Reflecting on his time in office, Adelabu said Nigeria’s power sector faced major challenges when he assumed duty in 2023, including low generation capacity, weak transmission infrastructure, widespread metering gaps and a debt burden exceeding N4 trillion. He highlighted improvements such as increased peak generation above 6,000 megawatts, progress in transmission projects and reforms under the Electricity Act 2023.
Despite these gains, he acknowledged ongoing issues like gas supply constraints, vandalism and the need for full commercialisation of the sector.
As part of his recommendations, Adelabu called for cost-reflective tariffs with targeted subsidies for vulnerable Nigerians, faster deployment of meters nationwide, recapitalisation of distribution companies and sustained investment in transmission infrastructure. He also proposed the creation of a coordinating minister for energy to oversee power, gas and related sectors more effectively.
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Edun, Dangiwa Resigned Before Cabinet Reshuffle — Presidency
Meanwhile, the Presidency reiterated that Edun stepped down due to health concerns, while Dangiwa also resigned after serving in the cabinet. President Tinubu commended both former ministers for their contributions to economic and housing reforms.
Following the changes, Taiwo Oyedele has been elevated to substantive Minister of Finance, with a mandate to continue ongoing reforms.
The recent wave of exits has reportedly unsettled members of the cabinet, with some officials expressing concern over the pace of changes as political activities ahead of the 2027 elections begin to intensify.
