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Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has criticised President Bola Tinubu over the state of electricity supply in the country, accusing his administration of failing to fulfil its campaign promises.
Mr Atiku also accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council of attempting to divert attention from the government’s poor performance in the power sector through what he described as a celebration of laws, committees, bonds and projects.
In a statement issued on Sunday by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) Presidential Campaign Council, Atiku said Nigerians were still struggling with unreliable electricity supply three and a half years after Tinubu made promises to improve the sector.
He said households and businesses continued to spend scarce resources on alternative sources of electricity, while consumers were billed for power supply they could not depend on.
“The APC should spare Nigerians the spectacle of celebrating paperwork while homes and businesses remain in darkness,” he said.
Atiku recalled that Tinubu had promised steady electricity supply and an end to estimated billing during the 2022 presidential campaign, arguing that the administration had failed to deliver on the commitments.
He also faulted the existing electricity tariff structure, which classifies consumers into Bands A, B, C, D and E, saying Nigerians continued to suffer despite paying different rates for electricity.
According to him, some Band A customers pay about N209.50 per unit before value-added tax (VAT), while tariffs for other categories vary across states and electricity distribution companies.
“Yet across every band, the same hardship endures: the power fails, but the bill arrives,” he said.
The former vice-president also questioned the Federal Government’s plan to end electricity subsidies from 2027, despite its assurance that there would be no immediate increase in tariffs.
He said Nigerians deserved clarification on the implications of the planned subsidy removal for electricity bills.
Atiku promised to work with state governments and regulators, within the law, to abolish the existing band system and introduce what he described as a fair, transparent and affordable electricity tariff framework.
He said such a framework would protect consumers and hold electricity companies accountable for the power they supply.
The ADC chieftain also recalled Tinubu’s campaign promise in 2022, when he reportedly challenged Nigerians not to re-elect him if he failed to provide constant electricity within four years.
“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 said.
Atiku further alleged that the Tinubu administration had not built any new power generation infrastructure of its own to increase the country’s electricity capacity.
He questioned the impact of the government’s multitrillion-naira bond programme designed to settle legacy debts owed to power generation companies, arguing that settling outstanding obligations was different from expanding electricity generation capacity.
“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.
He also raised concerns over the VAT imposed on electricity and the proposed five per cent surcharge on certain fossil fuels, including petrol and diesel, under the Nigeria Tax Act.
Although the Federal Government had said the surcharge had not been activated and would require a ministerial order, Atiku said Nigerians deserved to know why another potential energy-related charge had been introduced when households were already struggling with rising costs.
He dismissed the government’s explanations on the power sector, saying legislative measures, bond programmes and project approvals could not substitute for actual electricity supply.
“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,” he said.
Atiku added that Nigerians expected reliable and affordable electricity and a government capable of fulfilling its promises.
