ADC questions Tinubu, APC over unkept electricity promise

The African Democratic Congress Presidential Campaign Council has called out the All Progressives Congress. They want to know why President Bola Tinubu has not kept his 2023 campaign promise on electricity. The ADC insists that no political excuses can change his commitment to Nigerians.

The opposition party reminded everyone that the president made a clear promise. He said Nigerians should not vote for him for a second term if he fails to provide electricity in his first four years.

In a statement released on Sunday, Kola Ologbondiyan, the ADC-PCC Director of Media and Publicity, said the APC's efforts to explain or twist the President’s words through selective quotes is just an excuse to dodge accountability.

Ologbondiyan pointed out that Tinubu had told Nigerians during the 2023 presidential campaign, “Don’t vote for me for a second term if I fail to deliver electricity.”

He said this was a strong promise made by the President when he was a candidate. He added that Nigerians have the right to judge his government based on that promise.

The council stated, “No amount of selective editing, additional paragraphs or grammatical gymnastics can erase that commitment from the consciousness of Nigerians.”

They argued that instead of improving electricity supply, the Tinubu government has increased electricity tariffs, faced ongoing outages, and continued to rely on estimated billing.

The ADC-PCC also accused the government of creating unfair tariff categories under Bands A, B, and C. They said this was without ensuring that consumers got reliable power based on what they paid.

They claimed that the rising cost of electricity has forced some businesses, especially in hospitality, to limit power supply to guests during the day to cut down on costs.

Households, manufacturers, and small businesses are feeling the effects of higher electricity prices while dealing with an unreliable supply.

The council also questioned the success of the Presidential Metering Initiative. They said it has not met expectations, and electricity companies keep giving estimated bills to consumers.

The ADC-PCC criticized the APC for relying on the Electricity Act and government bond programs to defend the administration’s performance. They said laws and financing cannot replace real electricity supply.

“An Act is not electricity. A bond prospectus does not power homes and factories. Nigerians cannot eat statutes. What Nigerians need is electricity that works, not another round of explanations and publicity,” they stated.

The council insisted that the main issue is not the number of policies or laws made by the government. It is about whether Nigerians now have better and more affordable electricity.

They urged the APC to directly respond to the President’s campaign promise instead of trying to distort his words.

The ADC-PCC said the upcoming presidential and National Assembly elections on January 16, 2027, will give Nigerians a chance to judge the administration’s performance against its promises.

This electricity issue is part of the long-standing problems in Nigeria’s power sector. These problems include low generation, issues with transmission, poor distribution, financial challenges, and frequent failures of the national grid.

Previous governments have made reforms and promises to improve electricity supply, but unreliable power is still a major headache for households and businesses.

The Electricity Act 2023, which Tinubu signed in June 2023, created a framework for states to set up and manage electricity markets in their areas, following constitutional and regulatory guidelines.

The Federal Government has also worked on metering and financing projects to solve the sector’s infrastructure and revenue issues.

However, the ADC-PCC argued that these steps should be judged by how they benefit consumers. They believe Nigerians should not have to accept policy announcements instead of real improvements in electricity supply.