Presidential hopeful and flagbearer of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Atiku Abubakar has knocked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for making excuses instead of providing Nigerians with steady power supply for their homes and businesses.
According to the ADC presidential candidate, the people of the country continued to grapple with epileptic electricity supply despite the promise Tinubu made in 2022 to Nigerians that he will end the malaise.
Referencing President Tinubu’s campaign promise four years ago, that he will ensure that electricity supply is stable across the country, Abubakar said the administration continues to give excuses why the campaign promise has not been kept.
Abubakar make the remark in a statement issued by his spokesperson Phrank Shaibu on Sunday, saying the president has backtracked on his promise to give Nigerians stable electricity supply.
His reaction came after Dele Alake, Director of Strategic Communications for the All Progressives’ Congress Presidential Campaign Council, APC-PCC claimed in a statement at the weekend that President Tinubu didn’t promise to put a permanent end to epileptic electricity supply in the country.
Alake had said in the statement that Tinubu only promised to deal with the structural problems affecting electricity supply, saying the president has since embarked on reforming the sector after he came to office.
Abubakar, however, urged the president to stop the unnecessary ‘spectacle’ saying what Nigerians required at the moment is stable electricity for their homes and businesses, accusing the administration of forcing Nigerians to search for alternative ways to get electricity.
He also accused the administration of failing to fix the corrupt billing system where Nigerians are forced to pay for the electricity they don’t consume through estimated billing.
Dele Alake’s statement cannot light a home, the ADC presidential candidate said.
Abubakar: “APC should spare Nigerians spectacle of celebrating paperwork while homes and businesses remain in darkness. After three and a half years, families still struggle to keep their homes lit.
‘’Traders and small business owners spend scarce resources on alternative power, yet struggle to keep their businesses alive. Nigerians are billed for electricity they cannot rely on. President Tinubu promised steady power and an end to estimated billing. That promise has not been kept.
“Across Nigeria, consumers are placed in Bands A, B, C, D and E and charged different rates. In many areas, Band A customers pay about N209.50 per unit before VAT. Rates for other bands vary by state and electricity provider. Yet across every band, same hardship endures: power fails, but bill arrives.’’
He called on President Tinubu not to renege on his campaign promise and commitment he made to Nigerians in 2022 that he will fix problem, failure which the then APC presidential candidate said he should not be reelected for a second term.
“When President Tinubu campaigned in 2022, he made unmistakable commitment. He said: ‘If I don’t give you constant electricity for four years, when I come back for 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,” Abubakar said.
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