Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has accused President Bola Tinubu of failing to fulfil his marketing campaign promise to supply Nigerians with fixed electrical energy, insisting that authorities insurance policies, laws and monetary interventions can not change dependable energy provide.
Atiku made the remarks in an announcement issued on Sunday, November 1, 2026, by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) Presidential Campaign Council.
The assertion was a response to feedback by the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council on the Tinubu administration’s efforts to handle challenges in Nigeria’s electrical energy sector.
Atiku accused the ruling social gathering of trying to divert consideration from the persistent energy provide disaster by highlighting legal guidelines, committees, bond programmes and ongoing tasks as an alternative of addressing the experiences of electrical energy customers.
He stated Nigerian households and companies continued to battle with unreliable electrical energy regardless of the guarantees made by Tinubu through the 2022 presidential marketing campaign.
According to him, households are spending scarce sources on different sources of energy, whereas merchants and small enterprise homeowners are discovering it more and more tough to maintain their companies amid rising vitality prices.
“The APC should spare Nigerians the spectacle of celebrating paperwork while homes and businesses remain in darkness,” Atiku stated.
He additionally criticised the electrical energy tariff construction, which locations customers in Bands A, B, C, D and E, arguing that prospects throughout the totally different classes proceed to expertise unreliable provide regardless of paying various charges.
Atiku particularly famous that some Band A prospects pay roughly ₦209.50 per kilowatt-hour earlier than Value Added Tax (VAT), whereas sustaining that electrical energy customers shouldn’t be made to pay extra for energy they can’t reliably entry.
He argued that the state of affairs had positioned further stress on households and companies already scuffling with the price of residing.
The former vp additionally questioned the Federal Government’s plan to discontinue electrical energy subsidies from 2027, demanding clarification on how the proposed coverage would have an effect on customers’ electrical energy payments.
He stated Nigerians deserved to know what would occur to electrical energy tariffs when the subsidies had been ultimately withdrawn, regardless of authorities assurances that there can be no speedy tariff improve.
Atiku promised to work with state governments and related regulators, inside the provisions of the legislation, to abolish the present electrical energy band system and introduce what he described as a fairer, clear and inexpensive framework.
He stated such a framework would defend households and make sure that electrical energy distribution firms had been held accountable for the standard and amount of energy delivered to customers.
Recalling Tinubu’s marketing campaign promise forward of the 2023 presidential election, Atiku quoted the President as saying: “If I don’t give you constant electricity for four years, when I come back for a second term, don’t vote for me.”
Atiku argued that Nigerians had now lived by means of the interval coated by that promise and may choose the administration based mostly on its efficiency.
He additional claimed that the Tinubu administration had not constructed any new era infrastructure of its personal to considerably improve Nigeria’s electrical energy era capability.
The former vp additionally questioned the administration’s multitrillion-naira bond programme designed to settle excellent money owed owed to energy era firms.
According to him, settling legacy money owed is totally different from investing in new electrical energy era infrastructure, including that Nigerians deserve proof that the monetary intervention is translating into improved energy provide.
“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 stated.
Atiku additionally raised issues over the applying of VAT on electrical energy and the proposed 5 per cent surcharge on sure fossil fuels, together with petrol and diesel, underneath the Nigeria Tax Act.
He famous that the federal government had maintained that the surcharge had not been activated and would require a ministerial order, however argued that Nigerians wanted readability on the opportunity of further energy-related prices.
In a direct response to the APC’s defence of the administration’s electrical energy insurance policies, Atiku maintained that legislative approvals, monetary preparations and venture bulletins shouldn’t be mistaken for precise enhancements in electrical energy provide.
“Dele Alake’s statement cannot light a home. Signing a law is not electricity. Raising a bond is not electricity. Approving a project is not power delivered,” he stated.
He added that Nigerians wanted reliable electrical energy to prepare dinner, examine, work and function companies, fairly than repeated authorities bulletins about plans and interventions.
Atiku stated dependable and inexpensive electrical energy needs to be a nationwide precedence, insisting that President Tinubu should reply for the dedication he made to Nigerians throughout his presidential marketing campaign.
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