Transport Minister Saidu Alkali Resigns to Contest Gombe Governorship

Minister of Transportation Sa’idu Ahmed Alkali has stepped down from President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet to chase the Gombe State governorship seat in the 2027 polls.

NaijaChoice News reports that the resignation landed late Tuesday evening, barely hours before the March 31, 2026 deadline for political appointees with electoral ambitions. The State House confirmed the move after Alkali held a closed-door meeting with the President at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

Alkali, a three-term senator from Gombe North, is eyeing the seat currently held by Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, whose tenure ends in May 2027. The former lawmaker, who also served as Gombe State Commissioner for Information, brings years of legislative and executive experience to the race.

His exit follows a presidential directive issued through Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume. The order, rooted in Section 88(1) of the Electoral Act 2026 and INEC’s timetable, requires all appointees seeking elective offices to quit by the end of March. Party primaries are fixed between April 23 and May 30, 2026.

Alkali becomes the third minister to bow out in line with the rule. Earlier, Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar resigned to contest in Bauchi while Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs Yusuf Sununu stepped aside for a shot in Kebbi.

In a statement through his Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Umar Alkali Jibril, the outgoing minister expressed gratitude to President Tinubu. “I am deeply honoured to have served in this capacity and remain grateful to Mr President for the confidence reposed in me,” he said, adding that he was proud of the strides recorded in Nigeria’s transportation sector.

President Tinubu has accepted the resignation and commended Alkali for his service to the nation. The development clears the path for Alkali to focus fully on the Gombe race, where APC stakeholders are already weighing strong contenders to sustain the party’s hold on the state.

The resignation underscores the growing scramble for 2027 across the North, as more federal appointees trade office for the ballot in line with electoral guidelines aimed at levelling the playing field.