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El-Rufai Dumps President Tinubu’s Ministerial Appointment,Names Replacement

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A former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, has withdrawn his interest in being part of President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet, PREMIUM TIMES can exclusively report.

Presidency sources said Mr El-Rufai told President Tinubu at a meeting on Tuesday that he was no longer interested in becoming a minister but would continue to contribute his quota to the development of Nigeria as a private citizen.

“He also told the president that he needed time to focus on his doctorate programme at a university in The Netherlands,” one of our sources said.

Another insider also told this medium that the former governor suggested a new ministerial nominee — Jafaru Ibrahim Sani — for Kaduna State, saying the President would find him very useful and resourceful.

Mr Sani served as commissioner in three ministries in Kaduna State (Local Government Education and Environment) while Mr El-Rufai was governor.

Mr El-Rufai visited the President at the presidential villa a day after the Senate confirmed 45 ministerial nominees after a week-long screening of 48 of them.

The upper legislative chamber, however, withheld his confirmation and those of two others, citing security reports from the State Security Service for the action.

The two others were a former senator from Taraba, Sani Danladi, and a nominee from Delta State, Stella Okotete.

Our sources said on becoming aware of the Senate pronouncement on his case, Mr El-Rufai, who only returned to Nigeria from London on Monday, sought and got an appointment to meet the president.

At the meeting on Tuesday afternoon, President Tinubu, according to our sources, told the former governor he received some petitions critical of his ministerial nomination.

The president then asked for 24 hours grace to review the petitions and the SSS report to the Senate to enable him to reach a decision.

It was at that point that Mr El-Rufai responded that he was no longer interested in being minister since it appeared some forces around the president were scheming intensely to block his emergence as federal minister.

Mr El-Rufai had disclosed during his confirmation hearing on 1 August that Mr Tinubu asked him to work with him on the power problem facing the country.

According to him, the President had given a target of seven years for Nigeria to stop experiencing power outages in the country.

At the Tuesday meeting, Mr El-Rufai also reportedly told the President that since he would no longer be in the federal executive council, he would return the next day with his team to present the preliminary work done so far on the energy sector.

The team that accompanied the former governor to make presentations to the president on Wednesday includes Eyo Ekpo, a former commissioner at the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC); Hafiz Bayero, a former commissioner and administrator of the Kaduna Capital Territory Authority; Tolu Oyekan of the Boston Consulting Group and Ayodele Oni, a lawyer.

Mr El-Rufai is studying for a doctorate in public policy at the United Nations University, Maastricht.

His associates say as he prepared to leave office as governor in May this year, he had indicated his desire to exit public life and concentrate on his PhD programme.

But that was until then President-elect Tinubu asked him to join his cabinet so he could charge him with the responsibility of repositioning the inefficient power sector in Africa’s largest economy.

It is unclear what suddenly went wrong between the two men such that an agency of government would block Mr El-Rufai’s ministerial nomination without the president lifting a finger.

When contacted, Muyiwa Adekeye, the media adviser to Mr El-Rufai, declined to comment for this story.

PREMIUM TIMES.

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Oyo 2027: Adelabu Quits As Power Minister To Focus On Guber Race

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The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu has formally resigned from his position in the Federal Government to pursue his governorship ambition in Oyo State.

In a resignation letter dated April 22, 2026, and addressed to the President, Adelabu stated that his resignation will take effect on April 30, 2026, to enable him to focus on his governorship ambition in Oyo State.

The letter, routed through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, stated that he was stepping down with “a deep sense of honour and profound gratitude.”

He wrote, “I write with a deep sense of honour and profound gratitude to formally tender my resignation as the Honourable Minister of Power of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. This resignation is to take effect on 30th April 2026, in order to allow sufficient time for a smooth and orderly handover of responsibilities.”

Adelabu thanked the President for the opportunity to serve, describing his appointment as a privilege.

He said, “Your Excellency, I remain sincerely grateful for the privilege and confidence you reposed in me by appointing me to serve our great nation in this capacity.

“It has been a rare honour to contribute to national development under your leadership and to play a role in advancing reforms in the power sector—one of the most critical foundations of Nigeria’s industrial growth and economic transformation.”

The former minister said his resignation was to enable him focus fully on his governorship ambition in Oyo State, citing provisions of the amended electoral law.

He added, “My decision to step down is informed by my intention to focus fully on my gubernatorial ambition in Oyo State. This aspiration, which dates back to 2016 during my service as Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, ultimately led to my voluntary resignation from the Central Bank in 2018 in order to pursue the same goal.”

“In line with the provisions of the Amended Electoral Act 2026, which preclude political office holders from contesting elections, I consider it both appropriate and necessary to resign at this time.”

Adelabu’s exit marks a major political development ahead of the next electoral cycle, particularly in Oyo State, where he is expected to contest the governorship election.

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Wale Edun, Musa Dangiwa Resigned Voluntarily, Not Sacked – Presidency

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The Presidency has clarified that Wale Edun (former Finance Minister) and Ahmed Musa Dangiwa (former Housing Minister) voluntarily resigned from their positions and were not sacked by President Tinubu.

In a statement released this evening April 22, presidential media aide, Bayo Onanuga, said that contrary to public opinions, Wale Edun resigned on health grounds while Dangiwa also tendered his resignation and thanked the President for the opportunity given him to serve in the Federal Executive Council.

Onanuga stated that Edun, who clocked 70 on Monday and has battled recent ill health, fittingly submitted his resignation letter on his birthday, thanking the President for the opportunity to serve Nigeria.

“It has been a pleasure and privilege to serve your administration and the Renewed Hope Agenda, Under your leadership, Nigeria has emerged stronger, more resilient and more internationally respected. I wish you and the administration every success in the future” he wrote

Onanuga stated that on Tuesday, before the Office of the Secretary of the Government of the Federation announced his departure from the Cabinet, Edun paid a valedictory visit to the President at the Villa and held an hour-long discussion with the president and then left to focus on his private businesses.

The presidential aide stated that President Tinubu has expressed deep appreciation to Edun and Dangiwa for their dedicated service and significant contributions to the administration’s economic reform programme and wished them continued success in their future endeavours.

‘’In the same vein, the President has urged the new Minister of Finance, Taiwo Oyedele, to consolidate ongoing reforms and advance the administration’s fiscal and economic objectives with renewed focus, discipline, and innovation.

President Tinubu will shortly send the ministerial nominee for housing, Muttaqha Rabe Darma, also from Katsina, like Dangiwa, to the Senate for confirmation” the statement concluded

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Unity Bank, Experts Advocate Green Investment, Climate Innovation To Drive Economic Resilience

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Nigeria’s retail lender, Unity Bank Plc, alongside leading climate innovation experts, has called for increased investment in the green economy and the adoption of frontier technologies as critical pathways to driving economic resilience and reducing the impact of climate change on vulnerable populations across Africa.

The call was made during a thought-provoking webinar hosted by the Bank to commemorate this year’s Earth Day, themed “The True Cost of Climate Change and Who Pays?”. Climate experts and stakeholders convened to examine the human, economic, and institutional costs of climate change, while spotlighting practical solutions to address its growing impact.

In his opening remarks, Unity Bank’s Head of Strategy and Innovation, Ibukun Coker, emphasised the urgency of addressing climate risks from both a societal and business perspective.

He said: “Climate change is no longer a distant or abstract challenge. It is an existential threat with direct consequences for individuals, businesses, and economies. At Unity Bank, we recognise the role institutions must play in incorporating sustainability in project financing, supporting businesses and promoting solutions that build resilience in communities where we operate.”

The webinar featured Chinwe Udo-Davis, Founder and CEO of Instollar, and Oluwatosin Ajide, Programme Manager at the Nigeria Climate Innovation Centre, both of whom provided insights into the drivers of climate change and the pathways to mitigation and adaptation.

Speaking during the session, Udo-Davis highlighted the disproportionate burden which climate change places on underserved communities and the need for inclusive solutions.

“The true cost of climate change is not evenly distributed. Communities with the least resources are often the most affected, whether through energy poverty, environmental degradation, or limited access to sustainable alternatives. Addressing this imbalance requires intentional investment in clean energy solutions that are both accessible and scalable.”

Ajide underscored the importance of coordinated, system-wide approaches in tackling climate challenges, particularly through innovation and policy alignment.

“Climate change is fundamentally a structural problem, and its solution requires a paradigm shift: from innovation and policy to financing and implementation. Stakeholders must work collaboratively to drive solutions that are sustainable and inclusive.”

The session also explored emerging opportunities in climate technology, renewable energy, and ecosystem financing, reinforcing the role of innovation and cross-sector collaboration in building long-term resilience.

By hosting the webinar, Unity Bank continues to demonstrate its commitment to advancing sustainability-focused dialogue and supporting initiatives that promote responsible growth and environmental stewardship.

The initiative underscores the Bank’s broader strategic focus on environmental sustainability as well as its commitment to financial inclusion.

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