Eshioromeh Sebastian in Abuja
The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has formally resigned from his position in the Federal Executive Council, paving the way for his much-anticipated entry into the Oyo State governorship race.
Adelabu’s resignation was conveyed in a letter addressed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu through the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).
The move comes in compliance with the President’s directive requiring all political appointees with electoral ambitions to resign from their positions on or before March 31.
In his resignation letter, Adelabu expressed profound gratitude to President Tinubu for the opportunity to serve the nation, particularly in the critical power sector.
He described his tenure as a privilege and reaffirmed his commitment to the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“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,” the statement read in part.
Adelabu, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State and a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), had previously contested the governorship in 2019 under the banner of the APC, narrowly losing to the incumbent, Seyi Makinde.
His resignation now positions him to officially join the race ahead of the 2027 elections.
The President had earlier issued a directive instructing all members of his cabinet and other political appointees nursing ambitions to contest in the upcoming general elections to resign on or before the March 31 deadline.
While serving as Minister of Power, Adelabu oversaw several policy reforms aimed at improving the country’s electricity grid and expanding distribution infrastructure. His resignation takes immediate effect, and it is expected that President Tinubu will announce a successor or an acting head for the ministry in due course.
Adelabu, who holds the national honour of Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR), is widely regarded as a formidable contender in Oyo State politics, where the APC is seeking to reclaim the governorship from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Discussion about this post