Peter Obi mocks President Tinubu over recurring national grid collapses, citing his campaign promise to deliver constant electricity in four years
Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has taken a swipe at President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) over the latest collapse of Nigeria’s national electricity grid, which plunged large parts of the country into total blackout.
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In a statement issued on Thursday, Obi reminded Nigerians of Tinubu’s 2022 campaign pledge that he should not be re-elected if he fails to provide uninterrupted electricity within four years.
“The impact is too glaring for Nigerians to forget the promise of Mr. President while campaigning on 22nd December 2022 that: ‘If I don’t give you constant electricity in the next 4 years, don’t vote for me for second term,’” Obi recalled.
The former Anambra State governor lamented that under the APC administration, Nigeria has experienced more grid collapses than any other government, despite billions of dollars spent on the power sector.
Highlighting the underperformance of Nigeria’s electricity sector, Obi said:
“Nigeria has spent more on power generation, with little or no increase in supply, than countries like Vietnam, Egypt, Indonesia, and Bangladesh.
While they have added tens of thousands of megawatts to their national grid, Nigeria has barely moved from 4,500MW to 5,000MW.”
Obi noted that even achieving 10,000MW of consistent power could dramatically boost Nigeria’s GDP by up to 50%, reduce unemployment, and revive ailing industries.
“Factories are shutting down, jobs are disappearing, businesses are collapsing, and ordinary Nigerians live in darkness,” he said.
Obi criticized the Tinubu administration for spending on projects like coastal roads, while neglecting the power sector, which is crucial for economic revival and job creation.
“Mr. President, it is time to prioritise electricity. A New Nigeria is Possible,” Obi concluded.
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The grid collapse marks another setback in Nigeria’s troubled energy sector, which has long been plagued by poor infrastructure, corruption, and policy inconsistencies.
