Eniola Yekini
The All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council has said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 2023 campaign pledge on electricity must be quoted in full and assessed alongside his administration’s record in the power sector.
The Council was reacting to recent public commentary that reproduced part of the President’s statement made at a meeting with the Organised Private Sector (OPS) in Lagos ahead of the 2023 general elections, where he promised to end estimated billing and deliver stable electricity.
At the event, the then APC candidate had said: “Whichever way, by all means necessary, you will have electricity, and you will not pay for estimated bills anymore. A promise made will be a promise kept. If I don’t keep the promise and I come for a second term, don’t vote for me, unless I give you adequate reasons why I couldn’t deliver.”
The Campaign Council noted that some commentary has omitted the concluding qualification where the President said he would provide adequate reasons if the promise was not fully kept before seeking a second term, stressing that a fair assessment must consider the full statement.
According to the Council, while work in the power sector remains unfinished, the administration has stayed consistent with its commitment.
It listed key interventions to include the signing of the Electricity Act, 2023 within two weeks of assumption of office on June 9, 2023, which liberalised the sector and empowered states to participate in generation, transmission and distribution. Lagos, Enugu, Abia, Ekiti, Oyo, Kaduna and Niger states have already set up their own regulatory agencies in line with the law.
The Council also said the administration inherited over N6 trillion in legacy debts accumulated from 2015 to 2025 and has introduced a N4 trillion bond programme to settle verified debts owed to 21 power generating companies (GenCos) and gas companies (GasCos), with over N1.2 trillion raised in the first two tranches.
On metering, it said over 1.5 million customers have been metered in the last three years under the Presidential Metering Initiative launched to close the over 7 million metering gap, while the Rural Electrification Agency has connected universities, hospitals and rural communities to solar power.
Other projects highlighted include plans to modernise the over 60-year-old Osogbo Grid Control Centre, build an East-West super grid, and execute transmission projects under the Presidential Power Initiative (PPI) with German partners.
The Council recalled that President Tinubu signed an Acceleration Agreement for the PPI in December 2023, with the Federal Executive Council approving contracts for the first batch of five TCN substations in December 2024 and a second batch of eight new substations and upgrade of four existing ones in June 2026.
It added that the administration introduced Service Bands with differentiated tariffs to improve liquidity and viability of distribution companies, reduce government subsidy burden and protect low-income households while sustaining investment in substations and grid expansion.
“Fixing the electricity market and power sector is ongoing work. President Tinubu has not deviated an inch from his commitment. As he seeks Nigerians’ mandate for a second term, he will proudly present his scorecard in the power sector and clearly tell Nigerians what remains to be done,” the Council said.