The electricity crisis in Nigeria has triggered another political confrontation between the ruling All Progressives Congress and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, following the party’s admission that the country has yet to overcome its persistent power supply challenges.
Atiku, who is the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has challenged President Bola Tinubu to account for his 2023 campaign promise to deliver constant electricity, warning that Nigerians would determine his political future ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The APC Presidential Campaign Council has defended the administration’s performance, pointing to ongoing electricity sector reforms, a N4 trillion debt repayment initiative and investments in transmission infrastructure as evidence of its commitment to improving power supply. Atiku, however, has dismissed the explanations, maintaining that legislation, financial arrangements and project approvals cannot replace dependable electricity for households, commercial establishments and industries.
The controversy centres on Tinubu’s declaration during the 2023 presidential campaign that Nigerians should deny him a second term if he failed to provide constant electricity within four years. With the administration approaching the end of its first term, the opposition has intensified calls for the President to be judged by the actual condition of electricity supply rather than the policies and interventions announced by his government.
The APC Presidential Campaign Council, through its spokesman, Dele Alake, acknowledged on Sunday that resolving Nigeria’s electricity challenges remained a work in progress. He nevertheless argued that the administration had introduced significant measures to tackle the financial constraints, regulatory weaknesses and infrastructure deficiencies that have affected the power sector over the years.
“Fixing the electricity market and power sector is ongoing work,” Alake said, insisting that the administration’s performance should be evaluated through improvements in electricity generation, metering, infrastructure development and the overall stability of the market.
Atiku rejected the position, accusing the ruling party of attempting to dilute a specific campaign commitment through explanations about inherited challenges and ongoing reforms. He noted that millions of Nigerians continued to contend with prolonged blackouts, estimated electricity bills, rising tariffs and the additional financial burden of operating generators.
In a statement issued by the Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said Tinubu had personally established electricity supply as a major benchmark for evaluating his administration. He argued that the President could not now seek to redefine the conditions attached to the promise as the next election approached.
“The APC should spare Nigerians the spectacle of celebrating paperwork while homes and businesses remain in darkness. After three and a half years, families still struggle to keep their homes lit.
“Traders and small business owners spend scarce resources on alternative power, yet struggle to keep their businesses alive. Nigerians are billed for electricity they cannot rely on. President Tinubu promised steady power and an end to estimated billing. That promise has not been kept,” he said.
The disagreement has placed the administration’s electricity policies under renewed scrutiny as political parties begin positioning themselves ahead of the 2027 elections. While the APC is highlighting legislative changes, debt settlements and infrastructure investments, the ADC is insisting that the ultimate test of performance should be whether consumers enjoy consistent and affordable electricity.
Revisiting the President’s campaign declaration, Atiku recalled that Tinubu had explicitly invited Nigerians to assess his performance on electricity before deciding whether to support his re-election.
“When President Tinubu campaigned in 2022, he made an unmistakable commitment. He said: ‘If I don’t give you constant electricity for four years, when I come back for a second term, don’t vote for me.’
“Nigerians have lived through those four years. They do not need his campaign council to interpret his words for them. They need him to answer for them,” he stated.
Alake, in his response, argued that critics had concentrated on the initial portion of Tinubu’s declaration while overlooking the President’s subsequent undertaking to explain the circumstances if the electricity target could not be achieved before seeking another mandate.
He maintained that the administration had not abandoned its commitment but was addressing deep-rooted structural problems that had weakened the electricity industry over several decades. According to him, the reforms were designed to establish a more sustainable power market capable of attracting private capital and improving service delivery.
Among the measures highlighted by the APC spokesman was the Electricity Act, 2023, which Tinubu signed into law on June 9, less than two weeks after assuming office. Alake described the legislation as a major step towards restructuring the industry and creating opportunities for greater private sector participation.
He explained that the law opened up the electricity market by allowing state governments to establish regulatory frameworks and participate more actively in power generation, transmission and distribution. Seven states — Lagos, Enugu, Abia, Ekiti, Oyo, Kaduna and Niger — have reportedly commenced implementing the provisions by establishing electricity regulatory agencies and encouraging private investment.
The APC also defended the Federal Government’s intervention in the financial crisis affecting electricity generation companies and gas suppliers. Alake disclosed that the administration inherited accumulated legacy obligations exceeding N6 trillion in the power sector between 2015 and 2025, a situation he said had undermined the financial capacity of operators.
To address the outstanding liabilities, the government introduced a N4 trillion bond programme intended to settle verified debts owed to 21 generation companies and gas suppliers. According to Alake, the first and second phases of the programme generated more than N1.2 trillion.
He argued that clearing the outstanding obligations would improve liquidity across the electricity market, rebuild investor confidence and provide operators with the financial capacity required to maintain generation and attract fresh investments.
Atiku, however, questioned the extent to which the debt repayment initiative had improved electricity availability. He argued that settling inherited financial obligations could not be presented as an achievement in generating additional electricity, particularly in the absence of new generation infrastructure built by the administration.
The former Vice President accused the government of placing considerable emphasis on financial interventions without demonstrating corresponding improvements in the country’s power generation capacity.
“His administration has not built a single new generation infrastructure of its own to increase Nigeria’s power capacity. Yet it has floated a multitrillion-naira bond programme to settle legacy debts owed to generation companies, without showing Nigerians how this financial intervention has produced the steady electricity they were promised.
“Paying old debts is not the same as building new power infrastructure. Bonds cannot be presented as a substitute for power in people’s homes,” he said.
The opposition’s criticism also covered the administration’s promise to address estimated billing, which has remained a major source of dissatisfaction among electricity consumers.
Alake said the government had launched the Presidential Metering Initiative to reduce the country’s electricity meter deficit, which he put at more than seven million. He disclosed that over 1.5 million electricity consumers had received meters within the past three years.
According to him, the initiative was designed to promote transparent billing, minimise disagreements between distribution companies and their customers, and improve accountability throughout the electricity market.
Atiku maintained that the continued prevalence of estimated billing demonstrated that the government had not fulfilled its commitment to protecting consumers from paying for electricity they did not receive. He also faulted the service-based tariff arrangement, which divides electricity customers into Bands A, B, C, D and E according to their designated supply levels.
He noted that electricity charges had continued to rise despite persistent complaints about unreliable supply. In particular, he said consumers in Band A locations in several areas were paying approximately N209.50 per kilowatt-hour before Value Added Tax, while rates for other categories differed depending on the state and distribution company.
According to Atiku, the tariff structure had increased the financial pressure on households and businesses already spending substantial amounts on generators, petrol and diesel to compensate for inadequate public electricity supply.
“Across Nigeria, consumers are placed in Bands A, B, C, D and E and charged different rates. In many areas, Band A customers pay about N209.50 per unit before VAT. Rates for the other bands vary by state and electricity provider. Yet across every band, the same hardship endures: the power fails, but the bill arrives.
“No family should have to weigh the cost of electricity against the cost of food. No business should be left to pay more while receiving less,” he stated.
Responding to the criticism, Alake explained that the service-based tariff model was introduced to improve the financial sustainability of electricity distribution companies, strengthen revenue collection and reduce the Federal Government’s subsidy obligations.
He acknowledged, however, that balancing electricity prices with the financial realities of ordinary Nigerians remained a significant challenge. He said the administration would continue considering measures to protect vulnerable households while ensuring that electricity operators could meet their financial obligations and sustain their operations.
Atiku also demanded greater transparency regarding the government’s reported intention to discontinue electricity subsidies from 2027. He questioned how the proposed policy would affect consumers who were already struggling with increasing energy costs.
He argued that assurances against an immediate tariff increase did not adequately address concerns about the eventual consequences of subsidy withdrawal or establish who would bear the additional financial burden.
The ADC presidential candidate further questioned the implications of Value Added Tax on electricity and provisions contained in the Nigeria Tax Act for a five per cent surcharge on selected fossil fuels, including petrol and diesel.
Although he acknowledged the government’s explanation that the proposed surcharge had not been activated and would require a ministerial order, Atiku insisted that consumers deserved clear information about the possibility of additional energy-related charges.
“Meanwhile, Nigerians face VAT on electricity, and the Nigeria Tax Act provides for a five per cent surcharge on certain fossil fuels, including petrol and diesel. The government says the surcharge has not been activated and would require a ministerial order.
“At a time when families already struggle to meet the cost of energy, Nigerians deserve to know why another potential charge has been placed before them,” he said.
On efforts to improve electricity transmission infrastructure, Alake said the Tinubu administration had reviewed the Presidential Power Initiative inherited from the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari. He disclosed that an agreement to accelerate the programme was signed with German partners in December 2023.
He explained that the Federal Executive Council approved an initial set of contracts in December 2024 for the rehabilitation and modernisation of five Transmission Company of Nigeria substations located in major electricity demand centres.
According to him, the projects were approaching completion, with plans to commission the facilities before the end of Tinubu’s first tenure.
Alake further disclosed that the council approved an additional package of projects in June 2026, covering the construction of eight new substations and the rehabilitation of four existing facilities.
Other infrastructure proposals outlined by the APC spokesman included the modernisation of the Osogbo Grid Control Centre, which has been in operation for more than six decades, and the development of an East-West super grid. He said the initiatives were intended to strengthen the national transmission network, improve electricity distribution capacity and reduce disruptions across the country.
The administration also cited renewable energy interventions being implemented through the Rural Electrification Agency as part of its strategy to widen access to electricity. Alake identified solar power projects serving universities, healthcare facilities and rural communities as examples of efforts to provide alternative electricity solutions to underserved areas.
Atiku, however, maintained that government announcements, project approvals and signed agreements should not be confused with actual improvements in electricity supply. He insisted that the administration’s performance must be measured by the availability of power in homes, schools, hospitals and workplaces.
“Dele Alake’s statement cannot light a home. Signing a law is not electricity. Raising a bond is not electricity. Approving a project is not power delivered. Nigerians cannot cook, study, work or sustain a business on announcements.
“President Tinubu invited Nigerians to judge him by his performance. They have done so. What they seek is simple: reliable electricity they can afford, and a government that keeps its word,” he said.
Beyond criticising the APC administration, Atiku used the controversy to outline his proposed electricity policy under an ADC government. He pledged to collaborate with state governments and electricity regulators to dismantle the existing tariff band arrangement and introduce a new system that would prioritise affordability, transparency and consumer protection.
He said electricity distribution companies would be subjected to stronger accountability measures to ensure that the services delivered to customers corresponded with the charges imposed on them.
According to Atiku, an ADC-led administration would work “to abolish the present band system and replace it with a fair, transparent and affordable framework that protects households and holds power companies accountable for the electricity they deliver.”
“Steady power that Nigerians can afford will be a national priority,” he added.
Despite the opposition’s criticism, Alake insisted that Tinubu remained committed to addressing the country’s electricity challenges and would present the administration’s achievements and outstanding responsibilities to Nigerians as part of its campaign for a second term in 2027.
He maintained that the government’s electricity scorecard should take into consideration the reforms introduced, infrastructure projects undertaken, financial interventions implemented and the longstanding structural difficulties confronting the industry before Tinubu assumed office.
