List of Tinubu’s appointees who resigned ahead of the 2027 elections

Six political appointees have stepped down from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s cabinet.

These ministers and appointees resigned ahead of the Tuesday, March 31, 2026, deadline, allowing them to run for different positions in the upcoming 2027 elections.

According to reports, here are the six ministers who resigned from their official positions in Tinubu's administration to pursue their political ambitions for the 2027 general elections.

Yusuf Tuggar, the Foreign Minister, stepped down on Monday, March 30, 2026. He's aiming to run for governor of Bauchi State in 2027, representing the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Yusuf Sununu, previously the Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, quit his post. It's believed he did this to position himself for political chances leading up to the 2027 elections.

Also resigning was Sa’idu Ahmed Alkali, who formerly represented the Ngaski/Shanga/Yauri Federal Constituency of Kebbi State in the legislature.

The Transportation Minister tendered his resignation on Tuesday, following a meeting with President Tinubu. Alkali plans to seek the governorship of Gombe State under the APC banner.

Nasiru Gawuna, the former Deputy Governor of Kano State, has resigned from his position as Chairman of the Governing Board of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN). He's looking to pursue his political goals and has switched allegiance to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) ahead of the 2027 polls.

Abdulrazak Namdas, a native of Adamawa State, has left his role as a board member of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), where he represented the North-East. Reports suggest he's getting ready to throw his hat in the ring for the governorship in his home state.

Ahmed Galadima Aminu has also resigned as the Executive Secretary of the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF). He also intends to run for the Adamawa State governorship, this time under the APC ticket.

Former Oyo State Deputy Governor, Rauf Olaniyan, tendered his resignation letter on Monday, March 23, 2026.

He resigned as Chairman of the Governing Council of the Federal College of Education (Special), Oyo, to pursue his 2027 governorship ambition

Olaniyan explained that his decision was to enable him contest for the APC governorship ticket in Oyo State.

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Remember that Adebayo Adelabu, the minister of power under President Bola Tinubu, has pushed back against rumors that he stepped down from the cabinet, especially after a presidential order. These rumors about his resignation seem to be connected to his plans to run for governor in Oyo state, where he already made an earlier attempt during the 2023 elections. 

Adelabu recently faced a lot of criticism after a week of widespread power cuts across the country, which he attributed to a shortage of gas supply.

Reports show that President Tinubu has appointed Senator Ibrahim Ida, who used to be a lawmaker for Katsina Central, as the new chairman of the CAC.

This news came from a statement released by Bayo Onanuga, the president's special adviser on information and strategy.

The president also announced that he's nominated seven individuals to fill the empty commissioner spots at the NPC.