By Ayorinde Oluokun
Nigeria’s Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has indicated that he will soon quit the cabinet of President Bola Tinubu to concentrate on his bid to emerge the next governor of Oyo State through the 2027 election.
Adelabu is one of the ministers initially expected to resign after President Tinubu gave directive to his appointees interested in contesting in the 2027 election to quit his cabinet.
A viral report had indicated that Adelabu who has never hidden his intention to contest the Oyo governorship for the second time has resigned.
Many Nigerians had hailed the purported resignation as good riddance based on what they described as the poor performance of the minister.
However, Adelabu denied the report.
However, the intention of the Minister to finally quit the federal cabinet was revealed in a statement by his Special Adviser on Strategic Communications and Media Relations, Bolaji Tunji on Tuesday.
According to the statement, Adelabu recently met with Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, where he briefed the president on his performance in the power sector over the past two and a half years.
He added that the Minister used the opportunity to present key policy frameworks, including the National Integrated Electricity Policy (NIEP) and its Strategic Implementation Plan.
These, alongside the Medium- to Long-Term Integrated Resource Plan, are designed to guide the future of Nigeria’s electricity sector.
The Minister also highlighted efforts made under his leadership, pointing to strides in stabilising power generation, improving transmission capacity, and driving reforms aimed at enhancing efficiency across the sector.
Tunji said Adelabu is carefully planning his resignation to ensure continuity in ongoing reforms, especially as the sector grapples with challenges such as reduced power generation linked to gas supply issues, pipeline maintenance, and financial obligations to gas suppliers.
The statement also indicated that the Tinubu endorsed and support Adelabu’s governorship ambition, commending him for laying a solid policy foundation for the transformation of the power sector.
Adelabu, in turn, expressed appreciation for the president’s backing and reiterated his commitment to national development, even as he prepares to exit office.