MINISTER OF TRANSPORTATION, SAIDU ALKALI, RESIGNS FROM TINUBU’S CABINET TO CONTEST GOMBE GOVERNORSHIP
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The Minister of Transportation, Senator Saidu Alkali, has resigned from President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet, the State House media office confirmed on Tuesday evening.
Alkali’s resignation comes just hours before the March 31, 2026 deadline set by President Tinubu for political appointees with elective ambitions to step down from their positions. He is expected to contest the Gombe State governorship in the 2027 general elections, aiming to succeed incumbent Governor Inuwa Yahaya, whose tenure ends in May 2027.
The move follows a directive issued on March 17, 2026, by President Tinubu through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, requiring all political appointees—including ministers, advisers, agency heads, and federal parastatal executives—seeking elective office to resign before participating in party primaries or nominations, in line with Section 88(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026.
The Independent National Electoral Commission has scheduled party primaries between April 23 and May 30, 2026, with submission of candidate names due by July 11 for presidential and National Assembly elections, and August 8 for governorship and state assembly contests.
Alkali, a former Senator representing Gombe Central, becomes the third cabinet member to resign under the directive. On Monday, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, and the Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs, Dr Yusuf Sununu, stepped down to contest the Bauchi governorship and Kebbi senatorial elections, respectively.
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