The African Democratic Congress Presidential Campaign Council (ADC-PCC) has accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of failing to fulfil its 2023 electricity pledge, insisting that no explanation from the All Progressives Congress (APC) can erase the President’s commitment to Nigerians.
The council was reacting to comments by the spokesperson of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Dele Alake, which it described as an attempt to rewrite Tinubu’s promise through selective quotations and explanations.
In a statement signed by its Director of Media and Publicity, Kola Ologbondiyan, the ADC-PCC said Tinubu was unequivocal when he told Nigerians ahead of the 2023 election: “Don’t vote for me for second term if I fail to deliver electricity.”
It argued that more than three years after the pledge, Nigerians were still battling persistent blackouts, repeated national grid collapses and inadequate power supply, while electricity tariffs had continued to rise.
The council also accused the administration of worsening the burden of estimated billing on households and businesses.
The ADC-PCC said businesses, including hotels and other hospitality facilities, had resorted to rationing electricity by switching off power for guests during daytime to reduce operating costs. It also criticised the Band A, B and C tariff classifications, arguing that consumers were paying more without corresponding improvements in supply.
Questioning the impact of the Presidential Metering Initiative, the council alleged that its implementation had fallen short of expectations, leaving electricity distribution companies to continue issuing estimated bills. It added that references to the Electricity Act and government bond programmes did not address the reality of unreliable power supply.
“An Act is not electricity. A bond prospectus does not power homes and factories. Nigerians cannot eat statutes. What Nigerians need is electricity that works, not another round of explanations and publicity,” the statement said.
The ADC-PCC maintained that Tinubu’s second-term condition was clear: deliver electricity or do not seek another mandate. It challenged the APC to address the pledge directly, adding that the January 16, 2027 presidential election would give Nigerians an opportunity to assess the administration’s performance against its promises.