It’s becoming the new normal in Abuja: ministers walking out of the Federal Executive Council to chase governorship and senatorial tickets. On the surface, it looks like ambition, but underneath it says something uncomfortable about how we now view public office. The seat of a federal minister, one of the highest decision-making positions in the country, is being traded away like a stepping stone for something that feels more “juicy.”
This isn’t about comparing the power of a governor to that of a minister. Nigerians already know the difference. It’s about ego, restlessness, and a desperation dressed up as service.
If it were truly about impact, why abandon a position with national authority, influence, and the chance to shape policy for millions, just to become a local champion? Elective office carries legitimacy and moral weight that appointment can’t buy, but that doesn’t make the ministerial role small. To treat it as such is to admit that principle and contentment are in short supply.
The irony is everywhere. Former governors still scramble to return as ministers or senators, even after running entire states. If those roles were beneath them, why reach for them later? The recent “Double Loss” story from Daily Trust tells it plainly. Adebayo Adelabu left Power, Saidu Alkali left Transportation, and Yusuf Tuggar left Foreign Affairs; all lost their primaries in Oyo, Gombe, and Bauchi, respectively, outgunned by local contenders with deeper roots. Only Nkeiruka Onyejeocha and Yusuf Sununu managed to turn resignation into a ticket for Abia and Kebbi.
If service is the motive, the question lingers: was there nothing left to do, no more influence to wield, no more impact to make from the minister’s chair? Or was it never about service to begin with?
Bagudu Mohammed
bagudumohammed15197@gmail.com
