Updated: Adelabu backs out of Oyo governorship race, remains Power Minister

The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, appears to have stepped back from his governorship ambition in Oyo State after failing to meet the resignation deadline set by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The March 30, 2026 deadline required all political appointees seeking elective offices to vacate their positions, in line with provisions of the Electoral Act and guidelines ahead of the 2027 elections.

Amid widespread circulation of a purported resignation letter on social media, Adelabu’s media aide, Bolaji Tunji, dismissed the document as fake, insisting that the minister remains in office and continues to discharge his responsibilities.

“He is still fully in charge of his duties as Minister of Power and committed to the president’s mandate,” the aide clarified.

Adelabu had, over the past year, been linked with consultations and political moves aimed at contesting the Oyo governorship under the All Progressives Congress. However, his decision not to resign before the deadline effectively shuts the door on his participation in the upcoming electoral process.

When previously asked about his political ambition during a press briefing in Abuja, the minister avoided a direct answer, stating instead that he remained focused on his current assignment.

“I am fully focused on my job as the Minister of Power,” he said.

The development signals a shift in the political permutations ahead of the 2027 elections in Oyo State, where several aspirants are already positioning for the governorship contest.