By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Nigeria’s Minister of Power has resigned from office to focus on his ambition to contest the governorship of the South West State of Oyo.
Adebayo Adelabu, who has faced criticism over worsening energy supply in the West African nation addressed his resignation letter dated April 22, 2026 to President Bola Tinubu.
“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.
The decision to quit was necessary to ensure an orderly handover of responsibilities, the fiercely criticised Minister wrote.
Nigeria’s power sector has faced severe constraints, including limited gas supply, weak transmission infrastructure, and frequent grid failures, preventing its 4,500 MW capacity from reaching households and industries. This has however worsened under Adelabu as the Minister, with several states going for days in darkness.
Despite his poor performance in the ministry, Adelabu said his resignation was driven by his intention to fully pursue his governorship ambition in Oyo State.
The aspiration he said dates back to 2016 during his time as Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, recalling his 2018 resignation to pursue the same political 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.
