Nigeria’s Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has denied reports that he resigned to contest the Oyo State governorship.
The rebuttal, issued by his Special Adviser on Strategic Communications and Media, Bolaji Tunji, stated that the minister remains in office and fully engaged in his duties.
The speculation emerged on Tuesday, the deadline set by President Bola Tinubu for political appointees seeking elective positions to resign. Tunji dismissed the claims as false.
“The news of the minister’s resignation is fake. There is no truth to it,” he said.
A purported resignation letter circulating online—now described as fake—quoted Adelabu as stepping down to pursue his 2027 governorship ambition in Oyo State.
ASHENEWS, yesterday, also reported that Adelabu had resigned as Minister to aspire for the governorship of Oyo state.
The development follows similar moves by other cabinet members, including Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar and Transportation Minister Saidu Alkali, who reportedly resigned to pursue governorship bids in Bauchi and Gombe states, respectively.
Adelabu has long been linked with the Oyo governorship race. However, he recently declined to confirm any plans to resign, stressing that addressing Nigeria’s power challenges remains his priority.
“I am focused on resolving power supply issues for now… it is all about service at either the national or subnational level,” he had said.
Meanwhile, the controversy has renewed focus on Nigeria’s struggling power sector, marked by erratic electricity supply, gas constraints affecting generation companies, and a mounting debt burden estimated at N6.8 trillion.
The national grid has also remained fragile. It recorded two collapses in January 2026 alone, continuing a pattern seen in previous years—at least 12 collapses in 2024 and multiple incidents in 2025.
Despite government claims of reforms attracting about $2 billion in investments and reducing sector liabilities, concerns persist over the pace and impact of interventions.
Last week, Adelabu apologised to Nigerians over the poor electricity supply, describing the situation as a “temporary issue” causing hardship.
