Another minister resigns to join governorship race

Gombe

The Minister of Transportation, Senator Saidu Alkali, has resigned from President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet, the State House media office revealed on Tuesday evening.

The resignation comes just hours before the March 31, 2026, deadline set by the President for political appointees seeking elective offices to step down.

Alkali, who hails from Gombe State, announced his decision after meeting with Tinubu at the Presidential Villa on Tuesday evening.

The former minister is expected to contest for the Gombe State governorship seat in the 2027 general elections, seeking to succeed incumbent Governor Inuwa Yahaya, whose tenure ends in May 2027.

Yahaya was elected in 2019 and re-elected in 2023 on the platform of the All Progressives Congress.

His resignation follows a directive issued by President Tinubu through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation on March 17, 2026, ordering all political appointees with elective ambitions to vacate their positions on or before March 31.

The circular, signed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen. George Akume, and issued by the Permanent Secretary (General Services Office), Dr Ibrahim Kana, stated that the directive 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 ahead of the 2027 general elections.” Punch