Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs, officially resigned on Monday, March 30, 2026, at the federal government secretariat in Abuja. Appointed under President Bola Tinubu, he is leaving the government after several years leading the country’s diplomacy. The unofficial reason: a political ambition in his home state.
In a statement published on Twitter, Tuggar announced his departure, stating that he was acting “in accordance with the directive of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the provisions of the electoral law.”
He did not specify a precise reason officially. However, behind the scenes in Abuja, the reason is known: Yusuf Tuggar is preparing his candidacy for the governorship of Bauchi state in northern Nigeria. Gubernatorial elections are scheduled for 2027.
The Nigerian electoral law requires federal government members to resign before running for election. Tuggar is therefore respecting the legal timeline with over two years in advance, illustrating the seriousness of his political project.
Yusuf Maitama Tuggar is not a stranger in diplomatic circles. Before joining the Tinubu government, he served as the Ambassador of Nigeria to Germany from 2017 to 2023, spending six years in Berlin. This experience allowed him to forge strong ties with Nigeria’s European partners.
As head of the Foreign Affairs, he worked to reposition Nigerian diplomacy on the African and international stage, given the regional context marked by coups in the Sahel and shifting alliances.
His departure leaves a gap to fill at a time when Nigeria faces numerous diplomatic challenges, including its relations with neighboring countries and major powers.
President Tinubu will have to appoint a successor in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, all eyes are on Bauchi, where Tuggar now aims to fight another battle at the polls in 2027.
