The Minister of Transportation, Saidu Alkali, has officially resigned from the cabinet of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, with the State House confirming the development on Tuesday evening.
His exit came just hours before the March 31, 2026 deadline set for political appointees intending to contest in future elections to step down from their positions.
Alkali, who is from Gombe State, made the decision after meeting with the president at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
He is now widely expected to pursue the Gombe State governorship seat in the 2027 elections, with plans to succeed incumbent governor, Inuwa Yahaya, whose administration will end in May 2027. Yahaya first won the seat in 2019 and was re-elected in 2023 on the platform of the All Progressives Congress.
The resignation aligns with a directive issued earlier in March by the presidency through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, requiring all appointees with political ambitions to vacate office on or before March 31.
The directive, endorsed by SGF George Akume, referenced Section 88(1) of the Electoral Act 2026 and the election timetable released by the Independent National Electoral Commission ahead of the 2027 general elections.
