Former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, has questioned President Bola Tinubu over his campaign promise on electricity supply following the second collapse of the national grid in January.
In a statement posted on his verified X handle on Wednesday, titled “No Steady Power in Four Years, No Second Term,” Obi recalled Tinubu’s pledge during the 2022 presidential campaign, warning that the continued instability of Nigeria’s power sector runs contrary to that promise.
“President Bola Tinubu’s campaign promise in 2022 was clear: ‘If I do not provide steady electricity in my first four years, do not vote for me for a second term,’” Obi said.
He noted that despite the pledge, the national grid had already collapsed twice in January 2026, even before the month ended.
“Yet, in January 2026 alone, the national grid has already collapsed twice, and the month is not even over,” Obi said, adding that “last year, it collapsed about twelve times.”
According to him, the recurring grid failures should be a major source of concern for Nigerians, as they sharply contradict the administration’s assurances.
“This reality sharply contradicts the promise and should worry every patriotic Nigerian,” he stated.
Obi also criticised President Tinubu’s frequent foreign trips, noting that the president was currently in Türkiye while pressing domestic challenges persisted.
“At the same time, the President is on another foreign trip, this time to Turkey, a country of about 87 million people, roughly a third of Nigeria’s population,” he said.
Comparing both countries, Obi highlighted the wide gap in electricity generation capacity.
“Turkey generates and distributes over 120,000 megawatts of electricity, while Nigeria struggles with less than 5% of that capacity,” he said, describing the disparity as “both striking and painful.”
The former Anambra State governor urged the president to prioritise Nigeria’s internal challenges over foreign travels.
“Our appeal is simple: stay at home and confront the nation’s problems,” Obi said, warning that at the current rate, Nigerians might “soon hear of trips to Palau or Vanuatu while critical issues remain unattended at home.”
He further criticised what he described as an excessive focus on the 2027 general elections rather than governance.
“And yet, our collective preoccupation seems to be the next election, rather than how to secure good governance,” Obi said.
Obi concluded by calling on Nigerians to demand accountability and responsible leadership, stressing the need to address the hardship caused by poor governance.
“We should be joining hands to demand accountability and responsible leadership, and to save Nigerians from the indignity and suffering caused by persistent bad governance,” he added.