Olusesan Laoye.
As the Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, quits office to pursue his governorship ambition in Oyo State, the questions on the lips of Nigerians are: what did he really do in the power sector to improve its fortunes? What happens now? And what achievements is he bringing to Oyo State if elected as governor? Apart from being appointed as Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, obviously through President Tinubu’s patronage, what qualifies him above people like Senator Folarin to govern the state?
One other fundamental question being asked is whether his perceived poor performance at the Power Ministry will not tell on his aspirations to rule Oyo State.
It is a mark of the Tinubu administration that policies are never matched with action, and everything is political. Were Hadiza Bala Usman’s appointment as ministers’ performance ombudsman meant to be effective, Adelabu would not have had the opportunity to stay this long and voluntarily resign; he would have been booted out long ago, along with virtually the rest of the cabinet, for non-performance. Under him, power supply worsened, even for Band A consumers.
However, at last, the resignation of Chief Adelabu from the cabinet of President Ahmed Bola Tinubu as Minister of Power has put paid to speculations that he had declined the intention to contest the governorship of Oyo State. Given the APC’s primary election policy of consensus, he must be a bold man to leave his ministerial position for one where the occupant is often determined by the President. By leaving, he has apparently dashed the hopes of others who thought the race was theirs alone.
Plot to beat the “bride”
Before he quit last Thursday, he had met with President Tinubu, and that meeting generated much debate. Nigerians believed it could have been a game plan between him, the presidency, and some prominent personalities, especially certain high chiefs in Ibadan, to checkmate one of the aspirants with a strong link to the Olubadan—who many believe could be the President’s preferred choice and a possible consensus candidate of Aso Rock.
It would be recalled that before the political situation got to this stage, speculations had it that Adelabu would be the consensus candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), just as Yayi was speculated for Ogun State and eventually emerged.
But the situation in Oyo is dynamic and cannot be treated like that of Ogun State because of the constant power play, intrigues, and manoeuvrings among political actors, especially in Ibadan, which has continued to dominate the governorship, leaving other zones at their mercy.
That is why no one can boast of being ahead among aspirants when it comes to the governorship race in Oyo State. Even within the same party, a person who appears to have the upper hand may be surprised at the last minute if they fall out of favour with those in power.
In Oyo State today, the APC, which once claimed it was certain of taking over from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which has controlled the state for almost eight years, is no longer sure. The growing number of aspirants—now over 15, including women—has complicated matters.
Since they are many, it was believed the only way forward was to adopt a consensus candidate. However, with the emergence of Adelabu and other strong aspirants like Senator Sarafadeen Alli—whose recent declaration shook the state—the situation may no longer favour such an arrangement. Aspirants may now be asked to test their strength at the polls, as consensus could fracture the party.
This is where intrigue, power play, achievements, character, relationships with party leaders, and individual track records will count.
Where Adelabu stands
Now that Adelabu is no longer at the helm as Minister of Power, it is pertinent to critically examine his antecedents, achievements, and failures, and what his exit means for the ministry.
Political observers believe that although Nigeria’s power sector challenges are systemic, how Adelabu measures up against other aspirants will be crucial.
His associates argue that he introduced measures that were sabotaged by individuals determined to undermine President Tinubu’s image, given the central role of power in the economy. He repeatedly assured Nigerians that improvements were coming and pointed to reforms such as the transfer of DisCos to new investors with better capacity.
Although there were slight improvements in some areas weeks before his resignation, Nigerians have continued to groan under worsening power supply, with businesses collapsing and artisans struggling due to persistent outages.
Worst power supply
In the past three years, Nigerians have witnessed some of the worst power supply conditions, leading to widespread economic hardship. Prices of goods and services have soared due to high production costs driven by unreliable electricity.
The power sector remains one of the largest consumers of budgetary allocations after defence, yet there is little to show for it.
Many were surprised at Adelabu’s appointment to the Power Ministry, which had previously been managed by figures like Babatunde Fashola, widely regarded as a strong performer. Critics saw Adelabu’s appointment as political, predicting limited results—and, in their view, they were right.
Upon assumption of office, Adelabu promised a turnaround, pledging stable electricity supply through initiatives like “Light Up Nigeria,” renewable energy projects, and the Presidential Power Initiative.
Grid collapse
Three years later, those promises remain largely unfulfilled. In 2025, there were over a dozen national grid collapses, resulting in nationwide blackouts.
Budgetary allocations to the ministry were substantial:
2023: N239.5 billion
2024: N344 billion
2025: N2.1 trillion
2026: N1.107 trillion
In four years, the ministry received over N4 trillion, yet performance has remained poor.
Public anger
In a petition to Adelabu, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) alleged procurement irregularities within the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), calling for investigations by agencies such as the EFCC and ICPC.
The union warned that unchecked spending could cripple the power sector for years. However, it is yet to receive a response.
Inefficiency in TCN
Adelabu himself admitted that poor corporate governance has crippled the sector, with government-owned plants operating at just 20% capacity.
Despite an installed capacity of 4,000 MW, actual generation has remained between 500 MW and 800 MW.
Some states are now exploring independent power generation, as seen in Abia State under Governor Alex Otti.
Reports from Oyo State suggest that while Adelabu remains a strong political figure, his record in the power sector has raised concerns about his governorship ambition.
However, his media aide, Bolaji Tunji, defended him, arguing that broader systemic issues – such as funding gaps and gas shortages – were responsible for the sector’s struggles.
He stated: “We should always look at the larger picture before criticising.”