Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over Nigeria’s worsening electricity situation, referencing the president’s recent remarks during a visit to Jos.
In a statement, Obi recalled Tinubu’s 2023 campaign promise in which he told Nigerians not to vote for him for a second term if he failed to deliver constant electricity within four years. According to Obi, current realities in the power sector suggest that the administration is falling short of that commitment.
Obi said: “When he took office in 2023, Nigeria had a power supply of over 4,000 megawatts and lower tariffs. Today, the electricity power supply is less than 4,000 megawatts on average, and Nigerians are paying higher tariffs. Nigeria currently has the lowest per capita electricity consumption in the world, with a rate below 30% of the African average. Africa’s average is 617kwh, Nigeria’s is 144 kWh. This means that Nigerians consume the least electricity of all Africans.
The former Anambra State Governor also referenced Tinubu’s recent comment during a brief stopover in Jos on April 2, 2026, where the president reportedly remarked on the lack of electricity at the airport, saying, “You have no light here; I fly out in ten minutes.” The visit was part of a condolence trip to the victims of attacks in Plateau State.
Obi said that the remark underscored what he described as a disconnect between leadership expectations and the daily realities faced by ordinary Nigerians, many of whom endure prolonged blackouts.
He called on Nigerians to hold leaders accountable, urging a shift toward what he described as competent and compassionate leadership capable of addressing the country’s pressing challenges.
