Peter Obi criticises Tinubu over repeated power grid failures, saying the crisis contradicts the President’s promise of steady electricity

Former presidential candidate Peter Obi has criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over repeated collapses of Nigeria’s national electricity grid, warning that the failures undermine a key campaign promise made ahead of the 2023 general election.

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In a statement posted on his official X account on Wednesday, Obi said the Tinubu power grid failures reflected a growing gap between political commitments and lived reality, noting that the national grid had collapsed twice in January 2026 alone.

Peter Obi recalled that during the 2022 campaign, President Tinubu pledged to deliver steady electricity within his first four years in office or forgo a second term.

He said the continued instability of the power sector should alarm Nigerians.

“Yet, in January 2026 alone, the national grid has already collapsed twice, and the month is not even over. Last year, it collapsed about twelve times,” Obi said, describing the situation as deeply troubling for a country seeking economic growth.

The former Anambra State governor also questioned the President’s foreign engagements, drawing attention to Tinubu’s current trip to Turkey.

He contrasted Turkey’s electricity generation capacity of over 120,000 megawatts with Nigeria’s output, which he said remained below five per cent of that figure despite having a larger population.

“Our appeal is simple: stay at home and confront the nation’s problems,” Obi said, adding that persistent travel while critical infrastructure challenges remain unresolved sends the wrong signal.

He urged Nigerians to prioritise accountability and responsible leadership rather than focusing solely on electoral calculations ahead of 2027.

Nigeria’s electricity system suffered another nationwide failure on Tuesday, the second in four days, according to reports.

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The collapse led to a sharp drop in power generation and widespread outages across the country, once again exposing the fragility of the national grid.