Nigeria: Tinubu's Resignation Deadline Triggers Wave of Exits Ahead of 2027 Elections
With the deadline now passed, attention will shift to how these departures reshape both the composition of the federal cabinet and the competitive dynamics of key state contests ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The deadline set by President Bola Tinubu for cabinet members and political appointees seeking elective office in 2027 has triggered a wave of resignations across the federal government, marking what is arguably the first major political move ahead of the next general elections.
At least three ministers, a presidential aide, and other political appointees across federal boards and agencies have vacated their positions in line with the directive.
In March, Mr Tinubu directed all political appointees who intend to seek elective office in the 2027 election to resign from their posts. The directive applies to ministers, ministers of state, special advisers to the president, senior special assistants, and chief executive officers of federal government parastatals, agencies, commissions and government-owned companies.
The order is consistent with Section 88(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026, which bars public officeholders from participating in party primaries until they have resigned their appointments.
According to INEC's schedule, party primaries for the 2027 elections are to hold between 23 April and 30 May, with deadlines for submission of candidates fixed for 11 July (presidential and National Assembly) and 8 August (governorship and state assemblies).
Ministers quit cabinet for 2027 ambitions
The Minister of Transportation, Saidu Alkali, submitted his resignation on Tuesday evening after a meeting with President Tinubu at the Presidential Villa -- just hours before the deadline.
Mr Alkali, who hails from Gombe State, is expected to contest the governorship of the state in the 2027 general election, seeking to succeed the incumbent Governor Inuwa Yahaya, whose tenure expires in May 2027.
In his resignation letter, the former three-term senator expressed deep appreciation to the president for the opportunity to serve, citing what he described as significant progress made in the transportation sector under his watch.
Behind the scenes, Mr Alkali had been quietly building a political structure from Abuja. He is said to enjoy the backing of Vice President Kashim Shettima, First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu, and the Minister of Solid Minerals, Dele Alake -- a formidable coalition within the president's inner circle.
Mr Alkali is also said to enjoy the support of Mr Yahaya.
At the primaries, he is likely going to face former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami; Gombe state Accountant General, Aminu Yuguda; and a prominent contractor, Yunusa Yakubu, who are also believed to be eyeing Governor Yahaya's seat.
PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, resigned to pursue the Bauchi State governorship.
Mr Tuggar, a British-educated diplomat, assumed office in 2023.
Before his ministerial appointment, he served in the House of Representatives from the Gamawa Federal Constituency in 2007, and as Nigeria's Ambassador to Germany from 2017 to 2023 under former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Supporters of the minister from Bauchi State said a formal declaration of his governorship bid was imminent.
Political analysts said Mr Tuggar has built a reputation in diplomatic and policy circles for his emphasis on governance driven by policy.
Mr Tuggar contested for the governorship election in 2011 but was defeated by then-governor Isa Yuguda.
His anticipated entry into the Bauchi governorship race could reshape the state's political landscape, where discussions about leadership have increasingly focused on experience, credibility and development capacity.
Shortly after his resignation, Mr Tuggar was seen publicly around in Abuja with a former Chief of Air Staff, Sadique Abubakar. Mr Abubakar was the APC's 2023 governorship candidate in Bauchi State. It remains unclear if Mr Abubakar will contest in the 2027 elections.
The 2027 Bauchi contest is already generating considerable interest among stakeholders.
The Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Yusuf Sununu, also resigned his appointment, though his sights are set not on a governorship but on a senatorial seat in Kebbi State, according to a report by the Nation Newspaper.
Mr Sununu, who assumed duty at the ministry in November 2024, had previously served as Minister of State for Education and, before his ministerial career, represented the Yauri/Shanga/Ngaski Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, where he chaired the Committee on Healthcare Services.
Resignations extend beyond the cabinet
Other political appointees have also vacated their positions in line with the presidential directive.
The Chairman of the Governing Board of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, Nasiru Gawuna, resigned on 27 March. Mr Gawuna resigned from his appointment and also dumped the All Progressives Congress (APC) to join the ADC.
Likewise, Abdulrazak Namdas, a member of the Governing Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission representing the North-east zone, submitted his resignation on 30 March.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Citizenship and Leadership, Nasir Ja'oji, equally stepped down over the weekend. In his resignation, he thanked the president for the opportunity to serve and cited Mr Tinubu's focus on youth development as a motivating factor for his initial appointment.
Mr Ja'oji said he is joining the race for a seat to represent Tarauni Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives.
Uncertainty trails those who have not resigned
Beyond those who have formally resigned, other cabinet officials are reportedly consulting stakeholders over possible bids in the 2027 elections.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Mohammed Pate, and the Minister of Power, Bayo Adelabu, are among those whose political futures are being closely watched.
Mr Pate's gubernatorial ambition in Bauchi is not a new development. He contested the state's governorship three times -- in 2015, 2019, and 2023 -- and those familiar with his plans say a fourth attempt was always on the cards.
His campaign posters have re-emerged across the state, and pressure groups have been actively drumming up support. Associates of the minister confirmed his intention to run but noted that Mr Pate was waiting to get the president's blessing before leaving the cabinet.
Notably, Bauchi State could become a crowded field, with both Messrs Pate and Tuggar -- potentially locking horns in the APC primary.
In Oyo, Minister of Power Bayo Adelabu has a track record of near-misses. He was the APC's governorship candidate in 2019, losing to Governor Seyi Makinde of the Peoples Democratic Party.
He ran again in 2023, this time under the Accord Party, and was defeated again by the same opponent.
His supporters have long argued that a coalition of opposition parties denied him victory in 2019. His entry into the 2027 race, should it materialise, would reignite debate about whether he has built a structure capable of delivering a different result.
The National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, is also among the appointees being monitored for a potential political move. It remains unclear if the NSA will join the contest for the Adamawa governorship seat in next year's election.
Similarly, the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, is reportedly exploring a governorship bid in Ogun State.
Other potential aspirants include the Minister of Agriculture, Abubakar Kyari, who is being mentioned as a possible successor to Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, and the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, who is reportedly weighing either a governorship or senatorial bid in Abia State.
Since this second category of appointees has not resigned their positions before the president's deadline, it may indicate that they have sacrificed their ambitions to seek elective office in 2027. The presidency did not announce any extension to Mr Tinubu's deadline.
With the deadline now passed, attention will shift to how these departures reshape both the composition of the federal cabinet and the competitive dynamics of key state contests ahead of the 2027 general elections.
This article originally appeared on Premium Times.