Full List Of Nigerian Ministers Who Were Sacked, Resigned Since 1999

Nigeria’s Fourth Republic has witnessed numerous cabinet shake-ups in which presidents dismissed, suspended or forced ministers out of office.

Since Nigeria returned to democratic government in 1999, Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, Goodluck Jonathan, Muhammadu Buhari and Bola Tinubu have all presided over the removal of members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

Some ministers were dismissed following allegations of corruption or misconduct. Others were removed during routine cabinet reshuffles, while a number were pressured to resign or suspended pending investigations.

Consequently, no single definitive number of ministers have been “sacked” since 1999, because some departures officially described as resignations have also been widely portrayed as removals.

Below are some prominent ministers who were dismissed, relieved of their appointments, suspended, or forced out during Nigeria’s Fourth Republic.

1. Hussaini Akwanga — Labour Minister

Hussaini Akwanga was among the earliest ministers sacked during the Fourth Republic.

President Olusegun Obasanjo removed him as Minister of Labour and Productivity in December 2003 amid allegations relating to the controversial national identity card contract awarded to French company SAGEM.

The government said his removal was linked to its commitment to transparency, while investigations into allegations surrounding the contract continued.

2. Fabian Osuji — Education Minister

Former Education Minister Fabian Osuji was dismissed by Obasanjo in March 2005.

His removal followed allegations that ₦55 million had been offered to members of the National Assembly in connection with the ministry’s budget.

Obasanjo announced Osuji’s dismissal publicly, while an anti-corruption investigation followed.

Osuji, who died in 2024, served as Education Minister between 2003 and 2005.

3. Alice Mobolaji Osomo — Housing Minister

Only weeks after Osuji’s dismissal, Obasanjo also sacked Alice Mobolaji Osomo, then Minister of Housing and Urban Development.

Her removal followed controversy surrounding the allocation and proposed sale of more than 200 Federal Government properties in the Ikoyi area of Lagos.

The Presidency said the manner in which the properties were handled violated Federal Executive Council decisions and presidential instructions.

4. Adenike Grange And Gabriel Aduku Forced Out Under Yar’Adua

President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’s administration also witnessed high-profile ministerial exits.

Health Minister Professor Adenike Grange and Minister of State for Health Gabriel Aduku resigned in March 2008 amid an investigation into about ₦300 million in unspent 2007 budget funds.

Reports at the time said the two ministers were effectively given the option to resign or be dismissed.

They therefore differ slightly from ministers who were formally sacked through a presidential announcement.

5. Michael Aondoakaa — Attorney-General And Justice Minister

One of Goodluck Jonathan’s first major decisions after becoming Acting President in 2010 involved Michael Aondoakaa, who had served as Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice under Yar’Adua.

Jonathan removed Aondoakaa from the Justice Ministry and replaced him with then-Labour Minister Adetokunbo Kayode.

Aondoakaa was initially redeployed to Special Duties rather than immediately expelled entirely from the cabinet. His case should therefore more accurately be described as removal from his Justice portfolio, not simply an outright ministerial dismissal at that point.

6. Barth Nnaji — Power Minister

Former Power Minister Professor Barth Nnaji left Jonathan’s administration in August 2012.

However, his departure came amid concerns about a possible conflict of interest in the privatisation of electricity assets, after companies reportedly linked to him became involved in the bidding process.

The National Council on Privatisation subsequently cancelled aspects of the bidding exercise involving the affected companies.

For that reason, Nnaji is frequently included in lists of Nigerian ministers who were forced out, although his exit was formally recorded as a resignation.

7. Inuwa Abdulkadir — Youth Development Minister

President Jonathan formally terminated the appointment of Inuwa Abdulkadir as Minister of Youth Development in August 2013.

The Presidency directed him to hand over immediately to the ministry’s permanent secretary.

Jonathan’s administration later said the decision was connected with the handling of elections into the National Youth Council of Nigeria.

His dismissal came only weeks before a much larger cabinet shake-up.

8-16. Jonathan Sacks Nine Ministers In September 2013

On September 11, 2013, Jonathan carried out one of the largest single cabinet purges of the Fourth Republic, relieving nine ministers of their appointments.

They were:

8. Olugbenga Ashiru — Foreign Affairs

9.  Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufa’i — Education

10. Shamsudeen Usman — National Planning

11. Amal Pepple — Lands, Housing and Urban Development

12. Hadiza Mailafia — Environment

13. Ita Okon Bassey Ewa — Science and Technology

14. Olusola Obada — Minister of State for Defence

15. Zainab Ibrahim Kuchi — Minister of State for Power

16. Bukar Tijani — Minister of State for Agriculture

Information Minister Labaran Maku said the changes were part of the President’s effort to bring new hands and ideas into government and were not officially presented as punishment for wrongdoing.

The episode demonstrates that being sacked from a cabinet does not necessarily mean that a minister was accused of corruption or misconduct.

17. Stella Oduah — Aviation Minister

Perhaps one of the best-known ministerial dismissals during the Jonathan administration involved Stella Oduah.

Jonathan removed Oduah as Aviation Minister in February 2014 amid controversy over the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority’s purchase of two armoured BMW vehicles.

The controversy had generated widespread criticism and investigations before her removal.

Oduah later entered the Senate, representing Anambra North.

18. Godsday Orubebe — Niger Delta Minister

Former Niger Delta Affairs Minister Godsday Orubebe left the cabinet alongside Oduah in February 2014.

However, the government said some of those affected were leaving to pursue political or other interests.

Orubebe subsequently sought the PDP governorship ticket in Delta State.

His departure should therefore not automatically be interpreted as punishment for misconduct.

19. Caleb Olubolade — Police Affairs Minister

Caleb Olubolade, a retired naval officer who served as Minister of Police Affairs, was also removed in the February 2014 shake-up.

Like Orubebe, reports linked his exit partly to political ambitions ahead of the 2015 elections.

20. Yerima Ngama — Minister Of State For Finance

Yerima Lawan Ngama, then Minister of State for Finance, completed the group of four ministers dropped by Jonathan in February 2014.

The Presidency said the affected officials had been asked to leave to pursue other political or private interests.

Buhari Initially Kept His Ministers For Years

Compared with the Jonathan administration, President Muhammadu Buhari was initially reluctant to sack individual ministers.

Many members of his first cabinet served until the completion of his first term, while his second-term cabinet remained largely unchanged for its first two years.

That changed in September 2021.

21. Mohammed Sabo Nanono — Agriculture Minister

Buhari removed Mohammed Sabo Nanono as Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development on September 1, 2021.

Buhari described the changes as part of an ongoing effort to strengthen his administration and address weaknesses identified through assessments of government programmes.

Environment Minister Mohammed Mahmood Abubakar was transferred to replace Nanono at Agriculture.

22. Sale Mamman — Power Minister

Sale Mamman was removed as Minister of Power in the same September 2021 cabinet reshuffle.

Buhari said the changes followed critical reviews of government programmes and were intended to reinvigorate the cabinet as his administration entered a crucial phase of its second term.

Abubakar Aliyu, who was Minister of State for Works and Housing, was moved to the Power Ministry.

23. Betta Edu — Humanitarian Affairs Minister

President Bola Tinubu’s first major action against a cabinet member involved Betta Edu, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.

Tinubu suspended Edu from office in January 2024 and directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to investigate financial transactions involving the ministry and its agencies.

She was instructed to hand over to the permanent secretary and cooperate with investigators.

The Presidency did not initially describe Edu as “sacked”; the formal action was a suspension.

However, she never returned to the post, and when Tinubu restructured his cabinet in October 2024, a new nominee was selected to head the ministry.

24. Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye — Women Affairs Minister

Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye was one of five ministers Tinubu dismissed on October 23, 2024.

She had served as Minister of Women Affairs since August 2023.

Kennedy-Ohanenye subsequently thanked Tinubu for the opportunity to serve and said she remained committed to contributing to Nigeria’s development.

25. Lola Ade-John — Tourism Minister

Former Tourism Minister Lola Ade-John was also relieved of her appointment during Tinubu’s October 2024 cabinet reshuffle.

Her ministry was subsequently affected by a wider restructuring that merged tourism functions into a broader arts, culture and creative economy portfolio.

26. Tahir Mamman — Education Minister

Legal scholar and former Nigerian Law School Director-General Tahir Mamman was removed as Education Minister in October 2024.

Mamman was appointed in August 2023 and served just over a year before being replaced during the reshuffle.

The Presidency did not accuse him publicly of wrongdoing when announcing his removal.

27. Abdullahi Muhammad Gwarzo — Minister Of State For Housing

Abdullahi Muhammad Gwarzo was removed as Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development in the same exercise.

He was subsequently replaced as part of the government’s reorganisation of ministerial portfolios.

28. Jamila Bio Ibrahim — Youth Development Minister

Jamila Bio Ibrahim was the fifth minister formally removed by Tinubu in October 2024.

She had served as Minister of Youth Development.

The Presidency thanked all five outgoing ministers for their service without publicly assigning individual reasons for their dismissals.