APC Campaign defends Tinubu’s power sector performance, says scorecard coming

The All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council has addressed President Bola Tinubu’s 2023 campaign promise to end estimated electricity billing, saying the pledge must be assessed alongside the administration’s record in the power sector and the qualification he attached to it ahead of the then 2023 presidential election.

Dele Alake, the Council’s spokesperson, said this in a statement on Sunday, responding to public criticism of the president over the electricity pledge.

Mr Alake argued that some commentaries had reproduced Mr Tinubu’s campaign promise without including the part that he would provide Nigerians with adequate reasons if his administration failed to fulfil the estimated billing commitment before seeking re-election.

At a meeting with members of the Organised Private Sector in Lagos ahead of the 2023 general election, Mr Tinubu had promised to address Nigeria’s electricity challenges, particularly estimated billing, which he identified as a burden on households and businesses.

“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,” he had said.

He added that Nigerians should not re-elect him if he failed to fulfil the promise, unless he provided adequate reasons for his inability to do so.

Mr Alake said a fair assessment of the pledge should consider the full statement and the administration’s performance since assuming office in May 2023.

He acknowledged that resolving Nigeria’s electricity crisis remained unfinished but maintained that Mr Tinubu had been working to fulfil his commitment.

Government cites reforms, metering initiative

Defending the administration’s record, Mr Alake listed the Electricity Act 2023, the Presidential Metering Initiative, efforts to settle outstanding debts in the power sector and investments in transmission infrastructure as evidence of progress.

He said Mr Tinubu signed the Electricity Act on 9 June 2023, less than two weeks after assuming office, describing it as a major step towards liberalising the electricity market.

The law allows state governments to establish regulatory frameworks for electricity generation, transmission and distribution within their jurisdictions, rather than leaving the sector entirely under federal control.

According to Mr Alake, Lagos, Enugu, Abia, Ekiti, Oyo, Kaduna and Niger states have taken advantage of the legislation by establishing electricity regulatory agencies and attracting private investment.

He also said the administration inherited more than ₦6 trillion in legacy debts accumulated between 2015 and 2025, adding that the government had introduced measures to address the financial challenges confronting the sector.

Among these is the Presidential Metering Initiative, which was launched to address an estimated metering gap of more than seven million customers.

Mr Alake said more than 1.5 million electricity customers had been metered under the initiative in the last three years.

He added that the administration had introduced a ₦4 trillion bond programme to settle verified outstanding debts owed to 21 electricity generation companies (GenCos) and gas companies (GasCos).

According to him, the first and second tranches of the programme raised more than ₦1.2 trillion to settle part of the verified liabilities.

Mr Alake said the intervention had helped restore confidence in the electricity market and encouraged fresh investments by power generation companies.

He cited Geregu Power Plc’s recent announcement of investments in new power transformers to improve operations at its Geregu 1 Power Plant as an example of the emerging investments in the sector.

Tinubu administration defends tariff reforms

The APC spokesperson also defended the administration’s electricity tariff adjustments, arguing that aligning tariffs more closely with the cost of electricity production was necessary to improve the financial viability of distribution companies and the wider electricity market.

He said the government introduced different electricity service bands to improve revenue collection and reduce the financial burden of electricity subvention.

However, he maintained that the administration was exploring ways to balance the need for cost-reflective tariffs with electricity affordability for low-income households.

On infrastructure, Mr Alake said the administration was continuing projects under the Presidential Power Initiative (PPI), which was initiated by late President Muhammadu Buhari.

“President Tinubu inherited many power-sector initiatives, including the Presidential Power Initiative (PPI), which his predecessor, late President Muhammadu Buhari, started,” he said. 

He said Mr Tinubu reviewed the existing agreement and signed an acceleration agreement with the German partners in December 2023 to speed up efforts to strengthen the national transmission grid.

According to him, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved contracts in December 2024 for the first batch of five Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) substations in major electricity load centres.

He said the projects were being completed and would be commissioned before the end of the administration’s first term.

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Mr Alake further disclosed that FEC approved another set of projects in June 2026 involving the construction of eight new substations and the upgrade of four existing ones.

He also listed plans to modernise the Osogbo Grid Control Centre, which he said was built more than 60 years ago, and construct an East-West super grid.

Beyond the grid projects, he said the Rural Electrification Agency had connected universities, hospitals and rural communities to solar power.

Mr Alake argued that investments in the power sector take time, particularly because some equipment needed for major projects has long delivery periods.

He said the administration had not abandoned its commitment to addressing the country’s electricity challenges.

“As he seeks Nigerians’ mandate for a second term in office, he will proudly present his scorecard in the power sector and clearly tell Nigerians what remains to be done,” he said.