President Bola Tinubu
Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga has dismissed claims that President Bola Tinubu promised not to seek a second term if he failed to deliver stable electricity across Nigeria within four years.
The clarification follows renewed public attention to remarks Tinubu made during a business luncheon in December 2022 ahead of the 2023 general election. At the event, the then-presidential candidate said, “If I don’t give you constant electricity for four years, when I come back for a second term, don’t vote for me.”
Speaking during an interview on Arise News, Onanuga argued that the President’s statement has been widely misunderstood and taken out of context.
According to him, Tinubu never made an absolute commitment to forgo a second-term bid if electricity supply did not improve. Rather, he said the President was acknowledging that Nigerians should assess his administration’s performance while also taking into account the longstanding challenges inherited in the power sector.
Onanuga noted that the Tinubu administration has remained focused on improving electricity supply and addressing the issue of estimated billing. He said the Federal Government has supported the production of electricity meters and directed distribution companies to provide them to consumers at no cost.
He also identified the signing of the Electricity Act as one of the administration’s most significant reforms, explaining that the legislation empowers states to generate, transmit and distribute electricity independently.
According to Onanuga, several states have already begun taking advantage of the new legal framework, which he said is expected to encourage competition and improve electricity service delivery across the country.
While admitting that electricity supply has yet to reach the level envisioned by the President, the presidential aide blamed decades of structural problems in the sector.
He explained that although Nigeria has an installed generation capacity of about 13,500 megawatts, the country continues to grapple with gas supply constraints, legacy debts of more than ₦4 trillion owed to gas suppliers, and an ageing transmission infrastructure.
Onanuga said the administration is tackling these challenges through ongoing reforms aimed at strengthening electricity generation, transmission and distribution nationwide.
Despite the hurdles, he maintained that the Federal Government remains committed to improving power supply and building a more efficient and sustainable electricity sector for Nigerians.
