APC Primaries: List of Tinubu’s former Ministers who lost 2027 tickets

• ​Three former ministers who resigned from Tinubu’s cabinet to contest the 2027 elections have lost their party primaries.

• Adebayo Adelabu, Saidu Alkali, and Yusuf Tuggar failed to secure APC tickets in their respective states.

• The 2027 APC primary elections have come with some shocks as several candidates have voiced their displeasure at the results.

Five former cabinet members stepped down from their positions after the President directed political appointees seeking elective offices to resign before participating in party primaries.

Their resignation was in line with the Electoral Act 2026.

Among those affected were former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, who resigned to contest for the All Progressives Congress governorship ticket in Bauchi State, and former Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs, Yusuf Sununu, who resigned to pursue the Kebbi senatorial ticket.

Others are former Minister of Transportation, Saidu Alkali, who resigned to contest the Gombe governorship ticket; former Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, pursuing the House of Representatives ticket in Abia State; and former Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, who resigned to contest the Oyo governorship primaries.

Of the five, only Onyejeocha and Sununu have secured their tickets, while Adelabu, Alkali and Tuggar lost their bids or face uncertain political futures.

Former Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, resigned to contest the APC governorship ticket in Oyo State and lost.

Adelabu was defeated by Senator Sarafadeen Alli during the primary election, after polling 578,143 votes, while Adelabu scored 19,193 votes.

After losing the primary, Adelabu rejected the outcome and alleged widespread irregularities, intimidation and manipulation during the exercise.

He vowed to challenge the election outcome, adding that his team was preparing to petition the party leadership at the national level.​

​Also on the list is former Transport Minister Alkali, who resigned from President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet and failed to secure the APC governorship ticket in Gombe State after boycotting the primary process over alleged irregularities.

​Alkali lost to Jamilu Gwamna, who is backed by the incumbent, Governor Inuwa Yahaya. Gwamna emerged as the winner of the primary after polling 247,161 votes to defeat Alkali, who polled 11,612 votes, and the former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Pantami, who scored 12,120 votes.

Alkali had earlier boycotted the primaries over alleged lack of fairness, inclusivity, and credibility. He also alleged that the exercise lacked the basic hallmarks of a credible democratic process.

​Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, was among the early appointees who complied with President Bola Tinubu’s directive requiring cabinet members seeking elective positions in 2027 to resign before March 31, 2027.

​However,  the result was announced on Saturday morning after a delay by AIG John Abang (rtd), Chairman of the APC Governorship and House of Assembly Primaries Committee for Bauchi State, who named former Governor Mohammed Abubakar winner of the primary after defeating six other aspirants.

​Abubakar polled 57,517 votes to secure the ticket, while Tuggar came second with 26,001 votes. Nura Manu Soro scored 13,638 votes.

Other contenders included Bala Maijama’a A. Wunti, who recorded 13,648 votes, Kabir Baba Ma’aji with 8,157 votes, Baba Abubakar Suleiman with 7,688 votes, and Yakubu Yakubu Abdullahi with 7,181 votes.

​Recall that Tuggar formally submitted his resignation letter on March 30, 2026, through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.