Former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi has criticised President Bola Tinubu over repeated failures in Nigeria’s power sector, recalling the president’s 2022 campaign promise to deliver steady electricity within his first four years.
In a statement posted on his verified X account on Wednesday titled “No Steady Power in Four Years, No Second Term,” Obi highlighted that the national grid collapsed twice in January 2026 alone, even before the month ended. He noted that last year, the grid failed about twelve times, pointing to a troubling pattern of instability.
“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 wrote. “Yet, in January 2026 alone, the national grid has already collapsed twice. This reality sharply contradicts the promise and should worry every patriotic Nigerian.”
Obi also criticised Tinubu’s frequent foreign trips, noting that the president was in Turkey while domestic challenges, particularly power shortages, persisted. Obi drew attention to the stark disparity in electricity generation between the two countries:
“Turkey generates and distributes over 120,000 megawatts of electricity, while Nigeria struggles with less than five per cent of that capacity. The contrast is both striking and painful,” he said.
Urging the president to prioritise national issues over international travel, Obi stated, “Stay at home and confront the nation’s problems. At this rate, Nigerians might soon hear of trips to Palau or Vanuatu while critical issues remain unattended at home.”
He further accused the administration of focusing excessively on the 2027 elections rather than governance, framing the persistent power failures as a major contradiction to Tinubu’s campaign assurances.
