Ogona Anita
Barely days after the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, reportedly stepped down to pursue the Bauchi State governorship, another member of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s cabinet has resigned to seek elective office.
Dr. Yusuf Sununu, Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, has formally resigned his position to contest for a senatorial seat in Kebbi State.
Sununu’s exit follows President Tinubu’s directive mandating all political appointees aspiring to elective positions to resign on or before March 31, 2026.
The minister, who assumed office in the humanitarian ministry in November 2024, had at the time pledged to rebuild public confidence in the institution, which had been rocked by controversies.
“We were sent here to redeem the image of this ministry. It is only when we redeem the image that we can have trust. Without trust, whatever we have done will be underrated and will not be seen as an impact,” Sununu had said upon taking off
He emphasized the need for collaboration within the ministry, stating, “In doing this, we are going to provide leadership, guidance, and we will depend on you for your maximum input because you are the technocrats of the ministry, you are the owners of institutional memory, you are those who know the avoidable infractions.”
He added that avoiding past errors was critical to achieving the administration’s objectives: “So, we must be able to work together to avoid those avoidable infractions. It’s only when we do that, then the mission and vision of Mr. President to eradicate poverty and provide effective humanitarian services will be appreciated by Nigerians and we are ready to do that.”
Despite these commitments, Sununu has now bowed out of the cabinet to pursue his senatorial ambition, marking yet another high-profile exit from the administration.
Before his deployment to the humanitarian ministry, Sununu served as Minister of State for Education. He also previously represented the Yauri/Shanga/Ngaski Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, where he chaired the Committee on Healthcare Services.
His resignation adds to a growing list of political appointees leaving the cabinet ahead of the 2027 election cycle, signaling an early realignment within the ruling government.
