The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has criticized President Bola Tinubu for failing to honour his campaign pledge of providing uninterrupted electricity to Nigerians within four years.
In a forceful statement shared on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday, Bolaji Abdullahi, the interim spokesperson for the ADC coalition, reminded the president of his assurance during the campaign to ensure constant power supply and urged Nigerians not to re-elect him if he fell short.
“Today, we want to remind President Tinubu that he promised Nigerians uninterrupted electricity within four years. Yes, Mr. President assured us of 24/7 power—on his own accord,” Abdullahi declared.
He accused the Tinubu administration of exacerbating the nation’s power crisis, citing soaring tariffs and frequent grid failures. Abdullahi pointed out that electricity tariffs have surged by 240% since Tinubu took office, while the national grid has collapsed 12 times in that same timeframe.
He also noted that over 90 million Nigerians lack access to electricity, with many receiving only 4 to 6 hours of power daily under the contentious Band A–E tariff system. In rural areas, most of Nigeria’s estimated 50 million families remain completely off-grid.
“In 26 months, there has been no significant reform in the power sector, no clear strategy, and no sense of urgency,” he lamented, emphasizing that millions of Nigerians continue to depend on generators and mobile kiosks for their energy needs.
The statement concluded with a sharp reminder of Tinubu’s campaign promise: “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 fulfil your wish.”
President Tinubu had positioned power sector reform as a cornerstone of his 2023 campaign, pledging modernisation, decentralisation, and enhanced generation capacity. However, critics and civil society groups continue to voice concerns over the sluggish pace of reform and the impact of rising tariffs amid inconsistent supply.