Adelabu Resigns as Power Minister to Pursue Gubernatorial Ambitions Amidst National Grid Instability

Adebayo Adelabu tenders resignation to pursue governorship ambition. Critics call for a power sector reset following his "lacklustre" tenure and grid failures.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 25, 2026, 4:38 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from LEADERSHIP Media Group.

Ministerial Exit Shifts Focus to 2027 Political Ambitions

After weeks of speculation and a previously debunked resignation rumor, Adebayo Adelabu has formally exited the Federal Executive Council (FEC). The former minister met with the Secretary to the Government of the Federation on Friday to tender his resignation, reportedly to focus on his bid for the Oyo State governorship. While Adelabu’s team has framed his departure as a transition to political service in his home state, the timing has drawn sharp criticism from public policy analysts who view the move as a retreat from an embattled sector that remains in a state of operational crisis.

Tenure Defined by Grid Failures and Infrastructure Vandalization

Adelabu’s time at the helm of the Ministry of Power was characterized by persistent systemic challenges. Despite repeated assurances of a stable power supply, the national grid experienced multiple total collapses in early 2026, often blamed on the vandalization of critical transmission infrastructure and severe gas supply constraints. The minister famously stated that $100 billion would be required to fully modernize the sector, a figure that many Nigerians viewed as an admission of the insurmountable nature of the current energy quagmire under his leadership.

Controversial Tariff Banding and Consumer Exploitation Allegations

One of the most polarizing legacies of the Adelabu era was the categorization of electricity consumers into "Bands," which resulted in a steep hike in tariffs for those supposedly receiving higher hours of supply. Critics argue that this system became a platform for exploitation by Electricity Distribution Companies (DISCOs), with many communities still forced to self-fund the purchase and installation of transformers despite paying premium rates. The inability of the ministry to enforce regulatory compliance on DISCOs has led to widespread calls for the government to reconsider the "unpatriotic" manner in which the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) was originally unbundled.