Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, has criticised the Federal Government over the deteriorating electricity situation in the country. He also reminded Nigerians of a key campaign promise made by President Bola Tinubu on December 22, 2022.
In a post shared on his official X handle on Tuesday, Obi recalled the president’s statement during his campaign, where he vowed: “If I don’t give you constant electricity in the next four years, don’t vote for me for second term.”
Obi noted that despite this bold promise, Nigeria has witnessed more national grid failures and widespread power outages under the current administration than at any other time in its history.
“Yet, the APC and its current government have presided over more national grid failures and power outages than any government in our history. There are now repeated blackouts despite billions in power investments,” Obi stated.
He criticised the government for spending billions of dollars on the power sector without any measurable improvement. According to Obi, Nigeria has spent more on electricity generation than countries such as Vietnam, Egypt, Indonesia, and Bangladesh—yet those nations have significantly expanded their power capacity.
“While these countries have proudly doubled their electricity generation and distribution—adding tens of thousands of megawatts to transform their economies and grow their GDP—Nigeria has barely crawled from 4,500MW to 5,000MW,” he said.
Obi highlighted the strong link between reliable electricity and economic development, stating that Nigeria’s GDP—currently estimated at around $200 billion—could increase by 50% if the country manages to generate at least 10,000MW of electricity.
He emphasised that prioritising power generation would unlock industrial growth, create millions of jobs, and stimulate economic progress.
Taking aim at the government’s current spending priorities, Obi said: “Rather than focusing on this, which would boost our economy, we are investing in coastal roads that contribute far less to national productivity—while factories shut down, jobs disappear, businesses collapse, and ordinary Nigerians live in darkness.”
Calling for urgent action, Obi urged the Federal Government to focus on generating and distributing adequate electricity to power industries—especially Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs)—which he believes are crucial for job creation and economic recovery.
He concluded his post with a reaffirmation of his vision: “A New Nigeria is Possible.”
