Adelabu Has Not Resigned as Power Minister — Aide

Reports saying that Nigeria’s Minister of Power, Bayo Adelabu, has resigned from office have been dismissed by his media aide.

Bolaji Tunji, the minister’s special adviser on strategic communications and media, said on Tuesday that Adelabu remains in his position and did not author the resignation letter currently circulating online.

The letter, which went viral earlier in the day, alleged that Adelabu had stepped down to pursue the 2027 governorship election in Oyo State. It was reportedly addressed to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

Tunji, however, described the document as unauthentic.

“He has not resigned. That letter did not come from his office,” he said.

When asked whether the minister intends to leave office to contest the 2027 election, Tunji declined to give a definitive answer, stating that any such decision would be made public at the appropriate time.

Adelabu had previously indicated interest in the Oyo governorship race. In June 2025, he met with stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, where he signaled plans to contest in 2027.

The speculation comes amid a directive issued on March 17 by Bola Tinubu, instructing political appointees seeking elective offices in 2027 to resign on or before March 31.

Adelabu has a history of contesting the Oyo governorship. He emerged as the APC candidate in 2019 but lost to Seyi Makinde of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). After losing the APC primary in 2022, he contested the 2023 election under the Accord Party but was again defeated by Makinde.

He later returned to the APC and was appointed minister of power in 2023.