By Our Correspondent
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, has resigned from his position in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, paving the way for his anticipated bid in the 2027 Bauchi State governorship election.
Tuggar submitted his resignation letter on Monday around noon, in line with a presidential directive requiring political appointees with electoral ambitions to step down before the March 31, 2026 deadline.
Sources close to the former minister confirmed that the resignation is a strategic move to allow him to contest the Bauchi governorship election under the All Progressives Congress (APC) platform.
His entry into the race is expected to reshape political dynamics in Bauchi, where the contest for the state’s top office is already drawing significant interest from key political actors.
Tuggar’s resignation is part of a broader wave of expected exits from President Tinubu’s cabinet, following a directive issued earlier this month.
The order, communicated through the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, requires all political appointees seeking elective offices to resign on or before March 31, 2026.
The directive aligns with Section 88(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026, and the timetable released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for party primaries ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The presidential order covers a wide range of appointees, including ministers, ministers of state, special advisers, senior special assistants, special assistants, personal assistants, directors-general, and chief executive officers of federal government agencies and parastatals.
