Full list: How 7 Tinubu’s appointee who resign to contest gubernatorial tick

No less than six President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet appointees resigned to join the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primaries, which made headlines as they became the battle for supremacy across the states of the federation.

Among the appointees are two ministers, who lost to their opponents during the exercise, and it was not certain if they would be recalled into the cabinet, as other persons have taken over their positions.

At the same time, one of the six appointees did not resign to contest under the APC, but dumped the ruling party with the intention of achieving his governorship ambition under the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).

Below is the list of those who have resigned to contest for the primary:

Yusuf Tuggar 

Tuggar was the former Minister of Foreign Affairs, but resigned to contest for the APC governorship ticket in Bauchi. There were hopes and expectations that he was going to win the ticket, but he eventually lost to Mohammed Abubakar. President Tinubu has subsequently elevated the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, as the new Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Adebayo Adelabu 

The former Minister of Power also resigned from his position to contest the APC governorship ticket in Oyo State, a race he lost to Sharafadeen Alli, a sitting senator. Like in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, President Tinubu has appointed Joseph Tegbe, a fiscal and economic reform expert, to succeed Adelamu as the Minister of Power.

Rauf Olaniyan 

Olaniyan was appointed as the chairman of the governing council of the Federal College of Education (Special), Oyo State, but resigned to contest the Oyo State governorship ticket. Like Adelabu, Olaniyan also lost the ticket to Sharafadeen Alli, but President Tinubu had yet to announce his replacement. It is not yet clear if the president will recall him.

Saidu Alkali 

Alkali, who was serving as the Minister of Transportation under Tinubu’s government, also resigned to join the governorship race in Gombe. However, President Tinubu is yet to appoint Alkali’s replacement, even though he lost the APC governorship ticket to Jamilu Gwamna.

Abdulrazak Namdas 

President Tinubu appointed Namdas as a member of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) board to represent the North East, but he resigned to contest the APC governorship ticket in Adamawa. However, Namdas, a former member of the House of Representatives, lost the APC Adamawa governorship ticket to Ahmed Galadima. His position was yet to be filled by another person.

Ahmed Galadima 

Galadima was appointed as the executive secretary of the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) by President Tinubu but resigned to contest the APC governorship ticket in Adamawa State. He defeated Namdas with a total of 414,444 votes, as reported by The Cable. He became the only appointee of President Tinubu who resigned and won the APC governorship ticket.

Nasiru Gawuna 

He was appointed as the chairman of the Governing Board of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) by President Tinubu but resigned to contest the Kano governorship under the NDC. He could not secure the NDC governorship ticket. However, he has settled for a senatorial seat as Rabiu Kwankwaso, the leader of the Kwankwasiyya Movement and the NDC in Kano, declared on Friday, May 29. According to Kwankwaso, Gawuna will contest the Kano Central senatorial ticket under the NDC in the 2027 elections.