ELECTRICITY CRISIS: OBI FLAGS TINUBU’S UNKEPT PROMISE
Read Time:1 Minute, 52 Second
By: Fasasi Hammad
Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has challenged President Bola Tinubu over his 2022 campaign promise on electricity, following the national grid’s second collapse in January 2026.
In a statement shared on his verified X account on Wednesday, titled “No Steady Power in Four Years, No Second Term,” Obi recalled Tinubu’s pledge during the presidential campaign, warning that ongoing instability in Nigeria’s power sector contradicts that commitment.
“President Bola Tinubu’s campaign promise in 2022 was clear: ‘If I do not provide steady electricity in my first four years, do not vote for me for a second term,’” Obi stated.
He noted that the grid had already collapsed twice in January alone, and last year experienced roughly twelve outages. “Yet, in January 2026 alone, the national grid has already collapsed twice, and the month is not even over,” Obi said.
Obi warned that repeated power failures should be a source of concern for Nigerians, as they sharply contradict the administration’s assurances.
He also criticised Tinubu’s frequent foreign trips, pointing out that the president was currently in Turkey while pressing domestic issues persist. Obi contrasted the electricity generation capacities of the two nations, highlighting the disparity: “Turkey generates and distributes over 120,000 megawatts of electricity, while Nigeria struggles with less than five per cent of that capacity. The contrast is both striking and painful.”
The former Anambra governor urged the president to prioritise addressing Nigeria’s internal challenges over international travels. “Our appeal is simple: stay at home and confront the nation’s problems,” Obi said, cautioning that Nigerians might “soon hear of trips to Palau or Vanuatu while critical issues remain unattended at home.”
He further criticised what he described as an excessive focus on the 2027 elections rather than on effective governance. “And yet, our collective preoccupation seems to be the next election, rather than how to secure good governance,” he said.
Obi concluded by calling on Nigerians to demand accountability and responsible leadership, stressing the need to alleviate hardships caused by persistent governance failures. “We should be joining hands to demand accountability and responsible leadership, and to save Nigerians from the indignity and suffering caused by persistent bad governance,” he added.
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