From Power Failure to Oyo Ambition: A Leap Too Far?
By Matthew Eloyi
The resignation of Adelabu Adebayo as Minister of Power should, in many quarters, be received with relief. After all, public office is ultimately about results, and in a sector as critical as electricity, Nigerians expect more than promises, policy speeches, and polite letters of exit.
In his March 26, 2026 correspondence to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Adelabu struck the expected tone of gratitude and service, announcing his decision to step down in order to pursue his ambition of becoming governor of Oyo State. On paper, it reads like a routine transition. In reality, it raises an uncomfortable but necessary question: how does a minister widely seen as underperforming justify a bid for higher executive responsibility?
Electricity is not an abstract policy area. It is one of the most immediate and measurable indicators of governance. It powers homes, drives businesses, and shapes economic productivity. When it fails, everything else feels the strain. And during Adelabu’s tenure, failure remained a stubborn constant.
Yes, Nigeria’s power sector is deeply complex: burdened by decades of underinvestment, structural inefficiencies, and policy inconsistencies. No single minister could fix it overnight. But leadership is not judged by the difficulty of the task; it is judged by the ability to make tangible progress despite those difficulties.
On that score, the results are hard to defend.
For millions of Nigerians, the lived experience under Adelabu’s watch was unchanged: erratic supply, frequent grid collapses, and rising tariffs that felt disconnected from service delivery. If reforms were underway, they were not felt where it mattered most—in homes, markets, and factories across the country.
This is where the discomfort deepens. Public service is not meant to be a revolving door where underperformance at one level becomes a stepping stone to another. Yet that is precisely the perception his governorship ambition now invites.
Running a state like Oyo is no less demanding than managing a federal ministry. If anything, it requires even closer accountability to the people (on infrastructure, welfare, security, and economic growth). These are not theoretical responsibilities; they demand proven capacity to deliver outcomes.
So voters are entitled to ask: what evidence from his time in office suggests he is ready for that responsibility?
Supporters will argue that federal experience offers valuable exposure. They will point to inherited challenges and systemic constraints. Those arguments may carry some weight, but they do not erase performance. And in politics, perception often matters as much as explanation.
There is also a broader principle at stake. If political ambition is not anchored in demonstrable results, what message does that send about governance standards? Should electoral contests be based on future promises alone, or should they reflect a clear track record of delivery?
Adelabu Adebayo now seeks to convince the people of Oyo State that he can lead them effectively. That is his right. But it is equally the right and responsibility of voters to interrogate that claim with clarity and honesty.
Because in the end, leadership is not about aspiration.
It is about performance.
And until that gap is convincingly addressed, his journey from the power ministry to the Oyo governorship will continue to look less like a step forward and more like a leap that has not yet been earned.