Nearly 2 months after resignation, Adelabu still listed as minister in Ministry of Power’s website

NEARLY two months after leaving office as minister of power, Mr Adebayo Adelabu is still listed in that position on the Ministry of Power’s official website.

This is despite the fact that Dr Joseph Tegbe has been serving as the substantive minister of power for the past 46 days following Adelabu’s resignation.

The continued reference to Adelabu as minister on the ministry’s website raises questions about the delay in updating official government records to reflect the change in leadership at the ministry.

Adelabu resigned on April 22 this year after declaring his intention to contest the 2027 governorship election in Oyo State. His exit followed a directive by President Tinubu requiring all political appointees seeking elective office to vacate their roles. He, however, failed in the primaries, which produced Sharafadeen Alli as the All Progressives Congress (APC) consensus governorship candidate in Oyo State.

On the other hand, Tegbe was appointed on April 30 following Adelabu’s resignation, with the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, saying  his nomination was intended to reinforce ongoing reforms in the electricity sector, improve grid reliability, and draw long-term investment aligned with the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

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A native of Oyo State, Tegbe was described as a fiscal and economic reform specialist with more than 30 years of experience spanning both public and private sectors. He previously served as senior partner and head of advisory services at KPMG Africa, where he oversaw projects focused on fiscal reforms, governance, and institutional restructuring.

He also held the position of director-general and global liaison for the Nigeria-China Strategic Partnership, where he coordinated bilateral development initiatives between both countries.

Tegbe also chaired the National Tax Policy Implementation Committee, inaugurated by the Nigerian government in 2025 to drive the rollout of Nigeria’s revised tax framework.

He was involved in regulatory and institutional reforms within the power sector, including engagements with the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Company (NBET).

No website concurrence

Despite all these, the ministry’s website still recognises Adelabu as minister of power, with Mahmuda Mammah listed as permanent secretary. Only Chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Dr. Musiliu Olalekan Oseni, was listed as a commissioner.

But nowhere on the website is Dr Tegbe, the substantive minister of power, mentioned. Analysts say the image isn’t good for a nation, which claims reforms.

“This seems very little, but it tells a lot of stories about a nation,” said an Abuja-based public affairs analyst, Dr Dan Onyima. “If you remove a minister and they still appear on the ministry’s website nearly two months later, especially when there is a substantive minister, then there is a problem. What happens if someone from another country still sustains communication with Adebayo as minister?”

“It can mislead investors and other partners who rely on it for current information. It can also undermine confidence in institution’s professionalism.”