Again, Tinubu Promises Stable Electricity

President Bola Tinubu has renewed his promise to provide Nigerians with stable electricity,

The president’s promise comes , despite the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, recently admitting that it could take another three to five years to achieve reliable power supply in the country.

Tinubu made the fresh promise on Tuesday at the All Progressives Congress, APC, rally at Dutse Township Stadium in Jigawa State, where he outlined his administration’s priorities ahead of the 2027 general election.

The President, who acknowledged the shortcomings of the existing electricity privatisation arrangement, said his government would adopt a different approach to resolving the country’s persistent power crisis.

“We will provide reliable power, not the old privatisation that is not working,” he said.

“We will provide you with reliable power in this Nigeria,” Tinubu added.

However, the President’s latest assurance comes against the backdrop of a recent admission by the Minister of Power that Nigerians may have to wait another three to five years before enjoying stable electricity supply.

Tegbe, who spoke on Monday during a television interview on TVC, said the country needed substantial investment in electricity infrastructure and expansion of the national grid to achieve sustainable power supply.

The minister acknowledged the difficulties Nigerians were facing, saying infrastructure development could not be achieved overnight.

“By the time we fix the grid, I’ll look at the horizon of about three to five years from now,” he said.

He also disclosed that the Federal Government was planning a $2bn investment in an East-West super grid to strengthen electricity transmission and increase its capacity from about 4,000 megawatts to 19,000 megawatts.

The minister’s timeline for achieving stable electricity has brought renewed attention to Tinubu’s earlier promise in December 2022, when he was campaigning for the presidency.

Ahead the 2023 presidential election, Tinubu had during a business luncheon with members of the Organised Private Sector in Lagos, challenged Nigerians to hold him accountable over his electricity pledge, declaring that they should not vote for him for a second term if he failed to provide constant electricity within his first four years in office.

“If I don’t give you constant electricity for four years, when I come back for a second term, don’t vote for me,” he had said.

The 2022 declaration, political analysts say, is now particularly significant as the President seeks another mandate in 2027, with electricity supply remaining one of the major challenges confronting households and businesses across the country.