The All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council (APC-PCC) has admitted that President Bola Tinubu has yet to resolve Nigeria’s electricity crisis but insists his administration is taking steps to deliver stable and reliable power.
The council’s spokesperson, Dele Alake, said addressing the problems in the power sector remained a work in progress, three years after Tinubu took office.
In a statement on Sunday, November 1, titled ‘Tinubu’s Electricity Pledge Must Be Considered in Full Context’, Alake argued that the President’s performance should be assessed against the reforms and investments introduced since 2023.
Tinubu had promised during a meeting with members of the Organised Private Sector in Lagos ahead of the 2023 elections to end estimated billing and guarantee stable electricity.
“Whichever way, by all means necessary, you will have electricity, and you will not pay for estimated bills anymore. A promise made will be a promise kept,” Tinubu had said.
He also challenged Nigerians not to re-elect him if he failed to deliver, without providing adequate reasons for the shortfall.
Alake accused critics of quoting the pledge without its concluding qualification, arguing that the administration’s interventions should form part of any assessment.
He said Tinubu signed the Electricity Act 2023 less than two weeks after assuming office on June 9, opening the door for state governments to participate in electricity generation, transmission and distribution.
According to him, Lagos, Enugu, Abia, Ekiti, Oyo, Kaduna and Niger have established regulatory agencies to take advantage of the legislation and attract private investment.
On the sector’s financial challenges, Alake said the government inherited more than ₦6tn in accumulated legacy debts covering 2015 to 2025.
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He disclosed that a ₦4tn bond programme was introduced to settle verified obligations owed to 21 electricity generation and gas companies, with the first two tranches raising over ₦1.2tn.
He also cited the Presidential Metering Initiative, saying more than 1.5 million customers had received meters in the past three years. Other measures include tariff adjustments, service-based bands and protections for low-income consumers.
Alake said the government was expanding transmission infrastructure, modernising substations and planning an East-West super grid.
The Rural Electrification Agency was also connecting universities, hospitals and rural communities to solar power.
On the Presidential Power Initiative, he said Tinubu signed an acceleration agreement with German partners in December 2023 to fast-track transmission projects.
The Federal Executive Council subsequently approved projects involving new and upgraded substations in December 2024 and June 2026.
He added that investments by generation companies, including Geregu Power Plc’s plans to acquire new transformers, indicated growing confidence in the electricity market.
Acknowledging that infrastructure projects require time and specialised equipment, Alake said the administration would continue balancing commercially viable electricity tariffs with affordability for consumers.
“Fixing the electricity market and power sector is ongoing work,” Alake said.
He maintained that Tinubu remained committed to improving electricity supply and would present his administration’s achievements, alongside unresolved challenges, to Nigerians ahead of the next presidential election.