Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, has criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, saying it has recorded the highest number of national grid collapses and power failures in Nigeria’s history.
In a post shared on Wednesday via his verified X handle (formerly Twitter), Obi accused the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government of failing to deliver on its promise of stable electricity to Nigerians, despite massive investments in the power sector over the years.
Obi reminded Nigerians of President Tinubu’s campaign promise made on December 22, 2022, where he boldly declared: “If I don’t give you constant electricity in the next four years, don’t vote for me for second term.”
According to Obi, the situation has only worsened since Tinubu took over in May 2023, with more frequent national grid collapses and extended blackouts across the country. He described the president’s promise as “glaring” and “comforting,” especially for a country ranked among the worst in the world for electricity access.
“For a nation already said to have more people living without electricity than anywhere else in the world, there could not be any firmer or more comforting political promise than this,” Obi stated.
He further noted that billions of dollars have been pumped into Nigeria’s power sector over the years with very little to show. He compared Nigeria’s situation with countries like Vietnam, Egypt, Indonesia, and Bangladesh, saying those nations have made significant progress while Nigeria remains stuck.
“Some of these countries have proudly doubled their electricity generation and distribution by adding tens of thousands of megawatts. Meanwhile, Nigeria has barely crawled from 4,500MW to 5,000MW,” he said.
Obi, a former Anambra State governor, argued that Nigeria’s poor power supply is a major reason for the country’s slow economic growth, high unemployment, and collapse of small and medium-scale businesses. He said proper investment in electricity could increase Nigeria’s GDP by at least 50%, power industries, create jobs, and reduce poverty.
“With a GDP of about $200 billion, Nigeria has the capacity to boost its economy significantly by fixing its electricity problems,” he said. “But instead, we are focused on projects like coastal roads, which contribute far less to the economy, while businesses shut down and citizens live in darkness.”
Obi urged President Tinubu to treat the electricity crisis as a national emergency, and prioritise power generation and distribution if Nigeria is to move forward. He also called for transparency in the power sector, and more accountability from those managing it.
“Mr. President, it is time to prioritise generating and distributing more electricity to power businesses, especially SMEs, which will create jobs and grow the economy. A New Nigeria is POssible,” he concluded.
Obi’s comments have sparked widespread reactions online, with many Nigerians agreeing that unreliable power supply remains one of the country’s biggest challenges. Critics of the government say the power crisis reflects deeper issues of poor planning, corruption, and misplaced priorities.
The federal government has yet to officially respond to Obi’s remarks.
