Adebayo Adelabu, Nigeria's Minister of Power, has formally tendered his resignation from the Federal Executive Council. His resignation, conveyed in a letter dated April 22, 2026, and addressed to President Bola Tinubu, is slated to take effect on April 30, 2026. This decision stems from his long-standing ambition to contest the gubernatorial election in Oyo State, an aspiration he has pursued since 2016 and which led to his prior resignation as Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in 2018 to pursue the same goal.

Adelabu's resignation letter was transmitted through the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen George Akume, and its receipt was acknowledged by the Presidency. He expressed profound gratitude to President Tinubu for the privilege of serving the nation and contributing to the power sector's transformation. Prior to tendering his resignation, Adelabu met with President Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, where he presented a report on his stewardship in the power sector and formally briefed the President on his political ambition. President Tinubu subsequently granted his consent and blessing for Adelabu to pursue the Oyo governorship race.

Adelabu emphasized that his resignation aligns with the provisions of the Amended Electoral Act 2026, which precludes serving political office holders from contesting elections. His political journey in Oyo State includes contesting the governorship election in 2019 under the All Progressives Congress (APC) and again in 2023 with the Accord Party, losing both times to the incumbent Governor Seyi Makinde. After the 2023 elections, he rejoined the APC before his ministerial appointment in August 2023. Notably, his resignation comes about three weeks after the President's March 31 deadline for other political appointees aspiring to contest the 2027 elections.

During his tenure as Minister of Power, Adelabu highlighted significant reforms and achievements. These include the implementation of the Electricity Act 2023, which decentralized the electricity market and improved the investment climate. He noted a rise in peak power generation to over 6,000 megawatts, attributed to the integration of the Zungeru Hydropower Plant and the rehabilitation of thermal power plants. Transmission capacity was also strengthened through grid upgrades under the Presidential Power Initiative.

Further improvements were cited in the distribution segment, including enhanced regulatory oversight, improved revenue collection, and progress in reducing Aggregate Technical, Commercial and Collection (ATC&C) losses. Efforts to close the metering gap gained momentum through the Presidential Metering Initiative (PMI) and the World Bank-supported Distribution Sector Recovery Programme (DISREP). On the financial front, Adelabu reported that tariff reforms and a N4 trillion debt restructuring program increased market revenues from N1 trillion in 2023 to N2.3 trillion in 2025, aiming to restore investor confidence and put the sector on a path to sustainability. He also presented the National Integrated Electricity Policy (NIEP) and its Strategic Implementation Plan (SIP) as a comprehensive roadmap for the sector's sustainable development.

Despite these gains, Adelabu acknowledged persistent challenges within the power sector, such as gas supply constraints, infrastructure vandalism, and the need for full commercialization of the electricity value chain. Nigeria's power supply remained poor, fluctuating between 3,900MW and 5,500MW, with average output around 4,300MW to 4,900MW in 2026, far below demand. Transmission constraints and weak distribution infrastructure continued to cause frequent outages and grid collapses, leading to a public apology from the minister in March for crippling blackouts.

To sustain progress and address ongoing issues, Adelabu proposed key measures. These include implementing cost-reflective tariffs with targeted subsidies, recapitalizing distribution companies, accelerating nationwide metering, sustaining transmission investments, and strengthening regulatory enforcement. Crucially, he recommended the creation of a "Coordinating Minister for Energy" to provide strategic oversight and ensure synergy across the power, gas, water resources, and environmental sectors. This, he argued, would be critical for improving gas supply for thermal generation, optimizing hydroelectric resources, and accelerating renewable energy deployment.

In a related development, the Presidency clarified that former Finance Minister and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, and his Housing and Urban Development counterpart, Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, had also voluntarily resigned from office. Edun resigned citing health reasons on his 70th birthday, while Dangiwa also tendered his resignation. Taiwo Oyedele has since been appointed as the new Minister of Finance, and Muttaqha Darma is nominated for Housing.