Some former members of President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet seem to have made bold political calculations ahead of the 2027 general elections, but for some it is turning out to be a risky gamble.
Several ministers had resigned from the Federal Executive Council in compliance with a directive from the Presidency asking political appointees seeking elective offices to resign before participating in the All Progressives Congress primaries.
But some of the former ministers have now lost both their cabinet positions and their bids to secure party tickets.
So far only two of the five former ministers who resigned have secured APC tickets.
The resigned former ministers are the former Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu; former Minister of Transportation, Saidu Alkali; former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar; former Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha; and former Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs, Yusuf Sununu.
While Onyejeocha and Sununu won APC tickets in Abia and Kebbi states respectively, Adelabu, Alkali and Tuggar lost their bids or are facing uncertain political futures.
Adelabu Loses Ticket in Oyo
Adelabu resigned as Minister of Power to contest for the APC governorship ticket in Oyo State.
But he lost the primary election to Senator Sarafadeen Alli.
Alli got 578,143 votes, while Adelabu got 19,193 votes.
Adelabu had dismissed claims that President Tinubu was backing Alli before the primary.
“Anyone who claims he met with the president and that he endorsed someone is lying,” he said.
He said he waited to see the President before resigning from the cabinet and that Tinubu had encouraged him to go for governorship.
He told me: ‘Bayo, it is time. It’s a long-held ambition. Maybe they won’t stop you. “Go and resign and start work,” Adelabu said.
“If the president were to back anyone, it would be me,” he said.
Adelabu rejected the outcome of the primary after losing, alleging widespread irregularities, intimidation and manipulation during the exercise.
Alkali Places Third In Gombe
Former Minister of Transportation, Saidu Alkali, also resigned to contest for the APC governorship ticket in Gombe State.
He lost the primary to Jamilu Gwamna, who was said to have the backing of Governor Inuwa Yahaya.
Alkali later boycotted the process, accusing it of not being fair and credible.
He eventually came third in the primary behind former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Pantami.
Pantami polled 12,120 votes to emerge first runner-up, while Alkali got 11,612 votes.
The Chairman of the election committee, Senator Abubakar Danladi, announced the results. He said the committee received written notices of withdrawal from Pantami and Alkali.
However, he explained that the withdrawal letters had been received after the electoral process had begun and the candidates’ names had been printed on the ballot papers, so votes were still being cast for them.
Tuggar Loses Bauchi Primary
Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, resigned ahead of the March 31 deadline.
On March 30, 2026, he formally submitted his resignation letter to the Government of the Federation through the Office of the Secretary.
“Today, I formally submitted my resignation letter as Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs at the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, in line with the directive of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, and the provisions of the Electoral Act,” he said.
Tuggar said the resignation closed out a chapter of significant service.
“I appreciate the President for the trust and opportunity to serve under the Renewed Hope Agenda, and to contribute to advancing Nigeria’s foreign policy through the 4D Doctrine,” he said.
The former minister who represented Gamawa Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives in 2007 and later served as Nigeria’s Ambassador to Germany from 2017 to 2023 lost the Bauchi APC governorship ticket to former governor Mohammed Abubakar.
“Abubakar scored 57,517 votes while Tuggar scored 26,001 votes,” said AIG John Bassey Abang (retd.), Chairman of the APC governorship election committee in Bauchi.
