The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, has resigned from the cabinet of President Bola Tinubu to pursue his Bauchi State governorship ambition ahead of the 2027 elections.

The development was confirmed on Monday by the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa.

According to reports, Tuggar submitted his resignation letter to President Tinubu shortly after noon on Monday.

Sources indicated to Vanguard that the former minister plans to contest the Bauchi governorship election under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Tuggar’s resignation follows a presidential directive issued earlier in March, requiring political appointees interested in elective positions to step down from their offices.

The directive was conveyed through the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume.

Under the directive, all affected officials are required to resign on or before March 31, 2026.

The directive applies to several categories of political office holders, including: Ministers and ministers of state, Special advisers, Senior special assistants, Special assistants and personal assistants, Heads of federal agencies.

The policy is in compliance with Section 88(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026, aimed at preventing conflicts of interest as political activities ahead of the 2027 general elections begin to gather momentum.