Former Tinubu ministers who lost in primaries after resigning

On 18 March 2026, President Bola Tinubu ordered ministers and political appointees who were seeking elective office for the 2027 general elections to resign before participating in party primaries, in accordance with the Electoral Act.

Vanguard reported that the directive, issued by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, was “pursuant to the provisions of Section 88(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026, as well as the timetable issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission for party primaries.”

Only a few months after complying, several former ministers who resigned to pursue political ambitions have already suffered defeats in the All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries that precede the 2027 elections.

Among those who resigned were former Minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu; former Minister of Transportation Saidu Alkali; former Minister of Foreign Affairs Yusuf Tuggar; former Minister of State for Labour and Employment Nkeiruka Onjeocha; and former Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs Yusuf Sununu.

Onjeocha and Sununu secured party tickets, while Adelabu, Alkali and Tuggar faced setbacks in their respective states.

Adebayo Adelabu

Adelabu resigned as Minister of Power to contest the APC governorship ticket in Oyo State. He was heavily defeated by Senator Sarafadeen Alli in the primary, with Alli receiving 578,143 votes to Adelabu’s 19,193.

Prior to the primary, Adelabu dismissed speculation that Alli had President Tinubu’s backing, insisting that the directive from Abuja was intended to ensure a free, fair and transparent process.

“There was nothing like consensus arrangement. It was just a figment of their weird imagination,” he said.

After the result, Adelabu rejected the outcome and alleged widespread irregularities, intimidation and manipulation during the primary. He claimed that some of his supporters were prevented from voting, intimidated and chased away from polling centres.

He vowed to petition the party leadership and demanded sanctions against those allegedly responsible for misconduct.

Adelabu also insisted that if Tinubu were to support any aspirant, it would be him.

Following his resignation, President Tinubu nominated Joseph Tegbe as the new Minister of Power, a nomination later confirmed by the Senate.

Saidu Alkali

Former Transportation Minister Saidu Alkali resigned from the Federal Executive Council to pursue the APC governorship ticket in Gombe State.

He lost the primary to Jamilu Gwamna, who was widely believed to have the support of Governor Inuwa Yahaya.

Alkali boycotted the process, alleging a lack of fairness, inclusiveness and credibility in the conduct of the primary.

Despite the boycott, the former minister finished behind former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy Isa Pantami. Pantami polled 12,120 votes to emerge first runner‑up, while Alkali secured 11,612 votes.

APC governorship election committee chairman in the state, Senator Abubakar Danladi, disclosed that both Pantami and Alkali had submitted withdrawal letters after the commencement of the electoral process, adding that their names had already appeared on the ballot papers.

Yusuf Tuggar

Unlike some ministers who delayed their resignation, former Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar submitted his resignation letter on 30 March 2026, barely a day before the deadline.

He announced his decision, stating that he resigned in compliance with President Tinubu’s directive and the Electoral Act.

“Today, I formally submitted my resignation letter as Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs at the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation,” he wrote.

The former diplomat and ex‑lawmaker, who once represented Gamawa Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, sought the APC governorship ticket in Bauchi State.

He lost to former Bauchi State governor Mohammed Abubakar. According to the chairman of the APC governorship election committee in Bauchi State, retired AIG John Bassey Abang, Abubakar polled 57,517 votes to defeat Tuggar, who secured 26,001 votes.

Following Tuggar’s resignation, President Tinubu appointed Bianca Odumegwu‑Ojukwu as Minister of Foreign Affairs; she had previously served as minister of state in the same ministry. The president also nominated Sola Enikanolaiye as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, with both appointments subsequently confirmed by the Senate.

The post Meet Tinubu’s ex‑ministers who lost at primaries after resignation appeared first on Vanguard News.