Former presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has reminded President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of his campaign promise not to seek a second term if he fails to provide constant electricity during his first four years in office.
Obi’s reminder came on Wednesday, September 10, via a post on X (formerly Twitter), following another collapse of Nigeria’s national power grid.
Quoting Tinubu’s campaign statement of December 22, 2022, Obi wrote:
“Lest we forget, if I don’t give you constant electricity in the next 4 years, don’t vote for me for second term.”
The Labour Party flagbearer in the 2023 presidential election criticised the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Tinubu-led administration, alleging that they have presided over more grid failures and power outages than any government in Nigeria’s history.
He lamented that despite billions of dollars invested in the power sector, Nigeria has barely inched forward in electricity supply, crawling from 4,500MW to 5,000MW.
Obi contrasted Nigeria’s situation with countries such as Vietnam, Egypt, Indonesia, and Bangladesh, which he said had successfully doubled their electricity generation and transformed their economies.
He argued that Nigeria, with a GDP of about $200 billion, could boost its economy by at least 50% by generating a minimum of 10,000MW, which would power industries, create millions of jobs, and unlock industrial growth.
Instead, Obi criticised the administration’s prioritisation of coastal road projects over critical electricity generation and distribution, noting that businesses are collapsing, jobs are disappearing, and Nigerians continue to live in darkness.
“Mr. President, it is time to prioritise generating and distributing more electricity to power businesses, especially MSMEs, which will create jobs and grow the economy. A New Nigeria is POssible,” Obi added.
