Nigeria’s Minister of Transportation, Saidu Alkali, has stepped down from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s cabinet to join the race for the Gombe State governorship ahead of the 2027 general elections. His resignation came just hours before the March 31, 2026 deadline set by President Tinubu for all political appointees seeking elective office to step down.
In a statement by his Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Umar Jibril, it was confirmed that Alkali expressed deep appreciation to the President for the opportunity to serve, noting significant progress made in the transportation sector during his tenure. President Tinubu accepted the resignation and thanked the minister for his dedicated service to the nation.
Alkali, who was appointed minister in August 2023 and previously represented Gombe North in the Senate, is now seeking to secure the All Progressives Congress governorship ticket in Gombe State.
He is expected to succeed incumbent Governor Inuwa Yahaya, whose tenure ends in May 2027. Yahaya was first elected in 2019 and re-elected in 2023 on the APC platform.
His resignation follows a directive issued on March 17, 2026 by President Tinubu through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, mandating all political appointees with electoral ambitions to resign by March 31, in line with Section 88(1) of the Electoral Act 2026.
Alkali becomes the third cabinet member to resign in compliance with the directive joining a team of The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, and the Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs, Dr Yusuf Sununu who stepped down earlier to pursue the Bauchi State governorship and a Kebbi senatorial seat, respectively.
The wave of resignations is expected to lead to a reshuffling of the Federal Executive Council in the coming weeks, as Nigeria’s political landscape heats up ahead of the 2027 election cycle.
