Adebayo Adelabu, the Minister of Power, is reportedly expected to leave President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet by March 31, 2026. In accordance with the terms of the recently passed Electoral Act, this action comes after a presidential mandate requiring all political appointees with aspirations for the 2027 general elections to resign.
Adelabu will leave his position without meeting the widely reported 6,000 megawatt (MW) electricity supply target he set when he took office.
Adelabu has publicly stated his ambition to run for Oyo State governor. Since he has been the power minister, the national grid has battled with consistency, with daily allocations to distribution corporations (Discos) currently lingering around a meager 3,331 MW as of Tuesday, March 17, 2026, while reaching a brief peak of 6,003 MW in early March 2025.The power industry is still in deep crisis, with old infrastructure, persistent gas shortages, and an astounding ₦6.8 trillion legacy debt that recently forced numerous generation companies (GenCos) to shut down gas units.
The Minister’s resignation coincides with these developments. The Electricity Act 2023 was passed during Adelabu’s administration, and the Presidential Power Initiative (PPI) made some headway toward grid stabilization. However, the “Light Up Nigeria” milestone, which was promised, has not materialized for the majority of Nigerians who experience unstable supply.
Adelabu is “ready to bow out” to concentrate on his Oyo State gubernatorial campaign, according to Ministry sources, but the incoming successor will take over a system whose generation has actually reached a 21-month low, falling to an average available capacity of around 4,384 MW in February 2026.
The Minister’s departure is seen by the Nigerian people as just another round of unfulfilled energy promises. Although the 6,000 MW goal was ambitious, industry experts point out that it still falls well short of the estimated 30,000 MW needed to power a country with more than 200 million people.
President Tinubu’s choice to handle the complex politics and technicalities of a sector where 85 million Nigerians still lack dependable grid access is now the focus as the deadline of March 31 approaches. The search for a long-term solution to Nigeria’s “darkness” remains a major topic in the country’s debate, with the 2027 election season essentially starting with these resignations.
