The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has taken a swipe at President Bola Tinubu over what it described as the administration’s failure to deliver on its campaign promise of providing uninterrupted electricity to Nigerians within four years.
In a strongly worded post on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday, Bolaji Abdullahi, interim spokesperson of the coalition-backed ADC, reminded the president of a statement he made during his campaign — where he vowed to ensure constant power supply, and urged Nigerians not to vote for him in a second term if he failed.
“Today, we just want to take some time to remind President Tinubu that he promised Nigerians uninterrupted electricity within four years. Yes, that’s right — Mr. President promised us 24/7 power. All by himself,” Abdullahi stated.
He went on to accuse the Tinubu administration of worsening the country’s power woes, citing rising tariffs and consistent grid collapses. According to him, electricity tariffs have increased by 240% since Tinubu assumed office, while the national grid has collapsed 12 times during the same period.
Abdullahi also highlighted that over 90 million Nigerians still lack access to electricity, with many only receiving between 4 to 6 hours of power daily under the controversial Band A-E tariff system. In rural areas, he said, most of Nigeria’s estimated 50 million families remain entirely off-grid.
“In 26 months, there has been no major power sector reform, no clear roadmap, and no sense of urgency,” he said, lamenting that millions of Nigerians still rely on generators and mobile kiosks to power their daily needs.
The post concluded with a pointed reminder of Tinubu’s campaign rhetoric: “You once said: ‘If I don’t give you electricity, don’t vote for me.’ Well, Nigerians are listening. And come 2027, we intend to grant your wish.”
President Tinubu had made power sector reform a key component of his 2023 campaign, promising modernisation, decentralisation, and increased generation capacity.
However, critics and civil society groups have continued to decry the slow pace of reform and the impact of rising tariffs amid unreliable supply.
