Former Minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu has dismissed as baseless the reports suggesting he resigned from the Federal Executive Council against the wishes of President Bola Tinubu, insisting emphatically that he secured the president’s full consent and blessing before stepping down to pursue his governorship ambition in Oyo State.
In a statement issued through his media aide, Femi Awogboro, Adelabu said the narrative that he had defied the president was entirely fabricated and urged those circulating it to immediately desist from spreading falsehoods.
“Adelabu actually obtained the full approval and blessing of President Tinubu before taking the decision to resign. Those spreading false speculations should desist; such claims are baseless,” the statement read.
He dismissed the criticisms trailing his exit as similarly unfounded, suggesting that opponents had seized on the controversy in the absence of any substantive basis to challenge his record, and pointed to the unprecedented crowd that welcomed him back to Ibadan following his resignation as evidence of the genuine public support underpinning his political ambitions.
Adelabu formally announced his resignation in a letter dated April 22, 2026, addressed to the President through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. His departure was linked to a presidential directive requiring all political appointees seeking elective positions in the 2027 general elections to resign on or before March 31, 2026. The directive, issued on March 17 by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, aligns with Section 88(1) of the Electoral Act 2026 and the primary election timetable released by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
