JUST IN: Power Minister Adelabu Resigns April 30 for Oyo Guber Race

The minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has formally resigned from his position, effective April 30, 2026, to focus on his gubernatorial ambition in Oyo State.

In a letter addressed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu through the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Adelabu expressed profound gratitude for the opportunity to serve, describing his two-and-a-half-year tenure as a “rare honour.” He cited the Amended Electoral Act 2026, which bars political officeholders from contesting elections, as the key reason for stepping down. This marks his second resignation for similar ambitions; he left his role as deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria in 2018 to pursue the Oyo governorship.

Reflecting on his tenure, Adelabu described serving in the power sector as uniquely rewarding, despite his finance background, and said the experience would better equip him for state administration in infrastructure, reforms, and service delivery.

He recalled inheriting a sector in crisis in 2023, with generation at 3,500-4,500 megawatts against over 13,000 megawatts installed, constrained transmission, high distribution losses, widespread unmetered billing, and N4 trillion in debts.
Under the Renewed Hope Agenda, he reported progress including the Electricity Act 2023 for a decentralised market; peak generation exceeding 6,000 megawatts via Zungeru Hydropower and thermal rehabilitations; transmission enhancements like new transformers and substations; stronger distribution oversight, better revenue collection, and falling ATC&C losses; and advances in metering.

Adelabu acknowledged ongoing challenges such as gas shortages, vandalism, and commercialization gaps, urging sustained action for reliable supply.

He recommended implementing cost-reflective tariffs with subsidies for the vulnerable; recapitalizing distribution firms; accelerating metering; investing in transmission; enforcing standards; coordinating federal-state regulators; and appointing a coordinating minister for Energy to integrate power, gas, water, and environmental efforts.