Nigeria’s Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has debunked reports claiming he resigned from office to pursue the Oyo State governorship race.
The denial was issued by his Special Adviser on Strategic Communications and Media, Bolaji Tunji, who clarified that the minister remains in office.
Reports of Adelabu’s alleged resignation surfaced online on Tuesday, coinciding with the deadline set by Bola Tinubu for political appointees seeking elective positions to step down from their roles.
What they are saying
Responding to the resignation claims on Tuesday, Tunji dismissed the reports as false, insisting that the minister is still fully engaged in his duties.
- “The news of the minister’s resignation is fake. There is no truth to it,” Tunji said.
In the purported resignation letter, which Tunji has now described as ‘fake news’, Adelabu, while thanking the President, stated that his decision to resign was to enable him contest in the Oyo State governorship race in 2027.
- “My decision to resign is to enable me fully pursue my aspiration to contest for the office of Governor of Oyo State and to dedicate my time and resources to that endeavour.”
Get up to speed
Recall that President Tinubu, in line with Nigerian electoral law, directed political appointees seeking elective office to resign on or before March 31. Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, also tendered his resignation to pursue his governorship ambition in Bauchi State ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Additionally, Minister of Transportation, Saidu Alkali, has also resigned from his position to run for the governorship in the 2027 election in Gombe State.
Before now, Adelabu has been linked with the ambition of vying for the Oyo State governorship.
A week ago, during a press briefing in Abuja, he refused to confirm whether he would resign from his position.
- “Resolving the power supply challenges is my priority for now. We have between now and March 31, if I am interested, in the gubernatorial contest in Oyo State. It is all about service, either at the national level or at the subnational level,” Adelabu said at the time.
His intention to contest was first revealed last June when he met with APC stakeholders in Oyo to declare his interest in the seat, according to media reports.
Despite the denial, and with the expiration of the resignation window set by the President, the speculation has drawn further attention to the state of Nigeria’s power sector, which has faced persistent challenges in recent months, including inconsistent electricity supply linked to gas shortages affecting power generation companies.
The situation has been further compounded by a mounting debt crisis, with GenCos weighed down by an estimated N6.8 trillion in liabilities, forcing some operators to scale down or halt operations.
Last week, Adelabu publicly apologised to Nigerians over the poor state of electricity supply.
- “I want to apologise, coming from me as a minister of power, for this temporary issue that is leading to hardship being experienced,” he said.
What you should know
Although President Tinubu campaigned on improving electricity supply and appointed Adelabu, a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, to drive reforms in the sector, many Nigerians say there has been little improvement.
- On January 23, 2026, the national grid recorded its first collapse of the year, followed by another collapse just five days later, plunging large parts of the country into darkness.
- The trend mirrors developments in 2025, when several grid collapses were recorded, including major incidents in December, September, and March.
- In 2024, reports indicated that the national grid collapsed at least 12 times, highlighting the persistent fragility of Nigeria’s electricity infrastructure.
These challenges persist despite government claims that reforms have attracted about $2 billion in investments and reduced sector liabilities to N146 billion, raising concerns about the pace and effectiveness of ongoing interventions.
