‘Deliver electricity or don’t ask Nigerians for another mandate’ – ADC to Tinubu

The African Democratic Congress Presidential Campaign Council, ADC-PCC, has accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of failing to fulfil his 2023 electricity pledge, declaring that laws and government bond programmes cannot replace reliable power supply.

The council made the remarks while responding to Dele Alake, spokesperson of the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council, over his defence of Tinubu’s record on electricity.

In a statement signed by its Director of Media and Publicity, Kola Ologbondiyan, the ADC-PCC recalled that Tinubu had promised Nigerians during the 2023 presidential campaign that they should not vote for him for a second term if he failed to deliver electricity.

The council quoted the President as saying: “Don’t vote for me for second term if I fail to deliver electricity.”

It argued that Nigerians were still experiencing persistent power outages, repeated national grid collapses and unreliable electricity supply more than three years after the promise.

The ADC-PCC also accused the administration of increasing electricity tariffs without delivering a reliable supply, saying the rising cost of power had placed additional pressure on households, manufacturers and small businesses.

It cited hospitality businesses that it said had resorted to rationing electricity for guests during the day to reduce operating costs.

The council also questioned the impact of the Presidential Metering Initiative, alleging that electricity distribution companies continued to issue estimated bills despite the programme.

Dismissing the APC’s reliance on the Electricity Act and bond programmes to defend the administration, the ADC-PCC said: “An Act is not electricity. A bond prospectus does not power homes and factories. Nigerians cannot eat statutes. What Nigerians need is electricity that works, not another round of explanations and publicity.”

The council maintained that Tinubu’s condition for seeking a second term was straightforward: deliver electricity or do not ask Nigerians for another mandate.