The Minister of Transportation, Senator Saidu Alkali, has resigned from President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet, the State House media office announced on Tuesday evening.
His resignation comes hours ahead of the March 31, 2026 deadline set by the President for political appointees seeking elective office to step down.
Alkali, an indigene of Gombe State, tendered his resignation after meeting with President Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
He is expected to contest the Gombe State governorship election in 2027, aiming 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 platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Alkali’s exit 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 on or before March 31.
The directive, conveyed in a circular signed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, and issued by the Permanent Secretary, General Services Office, Dr Ibrahim Kana, was based on Section 88(1) of the Electoral Act 2026 and the timetable released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the 2027 general elections.
Under Section 88(1) of the Electoral Act, political appointees including ministers, advisers, and heads of government agencies, must resign before participating in party primaries or seeking nomination for elective offices. The provision is intended to prevent the use of public office and state resources for electoral advantage.
INEC has scheduled party primaries between April 23 and May 30, 2026, with submission of candidates’ names due by July 11 for presidential and National Assembly elections, and August 8 for governorship and state assembly polls.
Alkali, a former senator who represented Gombe Central, becomes the third cabinet member to resign in compliance with the directive.
On Monday, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, and the Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs, Dr Yusuf Sununu, also stepped down to pursue the Bauchi State governorship and a Kebbi senatorial seat, respectively.
