The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has criticised President Bola Tinubu for what it calls his failure to keep his campaign promise of providing Nigerians with uninterrupted electricity within four years.
In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday, ADC interim spokesperson Bolaji Abdullahi reminded the president of his pledge made during the 2023 election campaign, where he vowed to deliver 24-hour power and urged Nigerians not to re-elect him if he failed.
“Today, we just want to take some time to remind President Tinubu that he promised Nigerians uninterrupted electricity within four years. Yes, that’s right — Mr President promised us 24/7 power. All by himself,” Abdullahi wrote.
The ADC accused the administration of worsening Nigeria’s power situation, pointing to rising tariffs and frequent grid failures. According to Abdullahi, electricity tariffs have risen by 240% since Tinubu took office, and the national grid has collapsed 12 times in the same period.
He further claimed that over 90 million Nigerians still lack reliable access to electricity, with many households receiving only four to six hours of power daily under the Band A–E tariff structure. In rural areas, Abdullahi said, millions of families remain entirely off-grid.
“In 26 months, there has been no major power sector reform, no clear roadmap, and no sense of urgency,” he added, noting that many Nigerians continue to depend on generators and small kiosks for their energy needs.
The ADC ended its statement with a pointed reference to Tinubu’s campaign words: “You once said: ‘If I don’t give you electricity, don’t vote for me.’ Well, Nigerians are listening. And come 2027, we intend to grant your wish.”
President Tinubu had made power sector reform a cornerstone of his 2023 campaign, pledging modernisation, decentralisation, and greater generation capacity. However, critics argue that reforms have been slow, and rising tariffs continue to burden citizens amid an unreliable power supply.