The political bets made by three former members of President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet did not pay off, as Adebayo Adelabu, Yusuf Tuggar, and Saidu Alkali all failed to clinch the All Progressives Congress tickets they sought for the 2027 elections. The three had stepped down from their ministerial roles to enter the primaries, following a directive from the President that required appointees with political ambitions to vacate office first.

Adelabu, who oversaw the power ministry, was defeated in the contest for the APC’s Oyo State governorship ticket. He lost to Senator Sarafadeen Alli, who secured 578,143 votes in the primary. The former minister has since rejected the outcome, claiming the process was compromised and did not represent what party members actually wanted. He says he will take his complaints to the party’s national leaders. This marks his third attempt at the Oyo governorship after unsuccessful runs against Governor Seyi Makinde in 2019 and 2023. His time as power minister was also dogged by public frustration over unstable electricity supply.

Tuggar, who held the foreign affairs portfolio, left the cabinet to pursue the APC governorship nomination in Bauchi State but was unsuccessful in the primary. Alkali, the former transportation minister, also fell short in his bid for the party’s Gombe State governorship ticket. He had submitted his resignation in March, ahead of the March 31, 2026 cutoff Tinubu gave for appointees joining electoral contests.

Not all the former ministers who resigned missed out. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, previously Minister of State for Labour and Employment, picked up the APC ticket for Isuikwuato/Umunneochi Federal Constituency in Abia without opposition. Yusuf Sununu, who was Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs, also won his party’s nomination for the Yauri/Shanga/Ngaski Federal Constituency seat after stepping back from a Senate race in Kebbi. The wave of resignations was triggered by provisions in the Electoral Act 2026, which bars serving appointees from contesting primaries without first leaving office.

Source: Punch News