Nigeria’s power crisis takes centre stage as Atiku challenges Tinubu’s electricity pledge and the APC defends its reforms ahead of the 2027 election.

The ruling party defends its electricity reforms, N4 trillion debt settlement programme and metering drive, while the ADC presidential candidate questions their impact on consumers and promises to abolish the existing tariff bands.

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The All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council, through its spokesman, Dele Alake, has acknowledged that Nigeria’s electricity crisis remains unresolved, prompting former Vice-President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, to challenge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over his 2023 campaign promise to provide Nigerians with reliable electricity, in Abuja, on Sunday, November 1, 2026.

The exchange has brought electricity supply, affordability and government accountability into sharper focus ahead of the January 16, 2027 presidential election, with the ruling party defending its reforms and financial interventions while Atiku argues that Nigerians are yet to experience the improvements promised during the last election campaign.

At the centre of the disagreement is Tinubu’s undertaking during the 2023 presidential campaign that Nigerians should not re-elect him if he failed to provide constant electricity within four years, unless he offered adequate reasons for his inability to fulfil the commitment.

Alake, speaking on behalf of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, acknowledged that fixing the electricity market remained an ongoing task.

However, he maintained that the administration had introduced significant reforms to address the structural, financial and infrastructural weaknesses inherited by Tinubu when he assumed office in May 2023.

“Fixing the electricity market and power sector is ongoing work,” Alake said, defending the administration’s record and insisting that its performance should be assessed against improvements in electricity supply, metering, infrastructure and market stability.

Atiku, however, rejected the explanation, arguing that Nigerians should not be expected to measure electricity sector performance through government legislation, financial arrangements and project announcements while households and businesses continue to experience unreliable supply.

In a statement issued by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, the former Vice-President accused the ruling party of attempting to shift attention away from a campaign commitment that Tinubu had personally presented to voters.

“The APC should spare Nigerians the spectacle of celebrating paperwork while homes and businesses remain in darkness. After three and a half years, families still struggle to keep their homes lit.

“Traders and small business owners spend scarce resources on alternative power, yet struggle to keep their businesses alive.

Nigerians are billed for electricity they cannot rely on. President Tinubu promised steady power and an end to estimated billing. That promise has not been kept,” Atiku said.

The APC, however, argued that the President’s original statement should be considered in its entirety.

According to Alake, Tinubu had undertaken to provide adequate explanations if his administration could not fulfil the electricity commitment before seeking another term.

The distinction has become an important part of the ruling party’s defence as the 2027 election approaches, with the campaign council insisting that the administration should be judged on both its achievements and the challenges it is still addressing.

Tinubu’s electricity pledge was made during a meeting with members of the Organised Private Sector in Lagos before the 2023 general election.

At the time, he promised to tackle unreliable electricity supply and end estimated billing, presenting improved power access as an important part of his proposed economic programme.

More than three years into his administration, the government continues to face challenges involving inadequate generation, transmission limitations, distribution losses, gas supply constraints and accumulated debts across the electricity value chain.

Alake identified the Electricity Act 2023 as one of the administration’s principal interventions.

Signed by Tinubu on June 9, 2023, the legislation created opportunities for state governments to establish and regulate electricity markets within their jurisdictions, subject to the applicable regulatory framework.

The reform is intended to encourage private investment, promote competition and allow states to develop electricity solutions that reflect their individual needs.

According to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), 15 states had transitioned to regulating their own electricity markets by May 4, 2026.

The development represents a significant change from the previously more centralised regulatory structure.

Alake cited the progress made by state governments as evidence that the administration was pursuing institutional changes intended to improve electricity delivery over time.

Another major part of the APC’s defence concerns the financial condition of the electricity market.

Alake said the Federal Government inherited more than N6 trillion in accumulated legacy debts covering obligations to electricity generation companies and gas suppliers between 2015 and 2025.

He said the government introduced a N4 trillion bond programme to settle verified outstanding obligations owed to 21 generation companies and gas suppliers.

According to the campaign council, the first and second tranches had raised more than N1.2 trillion, providing financial relief to operators whose ability to sustain electricity generation had been affected by unpaid invoices.

The programme began with a N590 billion Series 1 Power Sector Bond issued in December 2025 under the Presidential Power Sector Debt Reduction Programme.

The Federal Ministry of Information described the issuance as the beginning of a broader intervention designed to raise N1.23 trillion by the first quarter of 2026.

The government maintains that clearing verified debts will improve liquidity, restore confidence among investors and gas suppliers, and support the long-term sustainability of electricity generation.

Atiku, however, questioned the extent to which the debt settlement programme had translated into additional electricity generation and more dependable supply.

He argued that settling old obligations, although financially important, should not be presented as equivalent to constructing new generating facilities or providing electricity to consumers.

“His administration has not built a single new generation infrastructure of its own to increase Nigeria’s power capacity.

Yet it has floated a multitrillion-naira bond programme to settle legacy debts owed to generation companies, without showing Nigerians how this financial intervention has produced the steady electricity they were promised.

“Paying old debts is not the same as building new power infrastructure. Bonds cannot be presented as a substitute for power in people’s homes,” he said.

The debate also extends to electricity metering, an issue that remains closely connected to household complaints about estimated bills and disagreements between consumers and distribution companies.

Alake said the administration introduced the Presidential Metering Initiative to address a national deficit of more than seven million electricity meters.

He disclosed that more than 1.5 million customers had been metered within the administration’s first three years, describing the intervention as an important step towards improving billing transparency and reducing disputes between electricity providers and their customers.

The government maintains that expanding access to prepaid and other approved meters will help consumers pay for electricity more accurately while improving accountability across the distribution network.

Atiku, however, argued that the continued prevalence of estimated billing demonstrated that the problem had not been resolved to the extent promised during the election campaign.

He also criticised the existing five-band electricity tariff system, under which consumers are classified into Bands A, B, C, D and E according to the minimum electricity supply hours assigned to their respective service categories.

The system was introduced as part of efforts to link electricity prices more closely to the quality of supply received by customers, with higher tariffs applying to designated higher-service bands.

Atiku argued that the arrangement had increased the financial pressure on households and businesses, particularly where the promised supply hours were not consistently delivered.

He cited Band A electricity charges of approximately N209.50 per kilowatt-hour in some areas before Value Added Tax, although actual tariffs vary by distribution company and applicable regulatory orders.

“Across Nigeria, consumers are placed in Bands A, B, C, D and E and charged different rates. In many areas, Band A customers pay about N209.50 per unit before VAT.

Rates for the other bands vary by state and electricity provider. Yet across every band, the same hardship endures: the power fails, but the bill arrives.

“No family should have to weigh the cost of electricity against the cost of food. No business should be left to pay more while receiving less,” he said.

The APC, meanwhile, defended the tariff reforms as necessary to improve the financial sustainability of electricity distribution companies, strengthen market liquidity and reduce the burden of government subsidies.

Alake acknowledged the need to balance cost-reflective tariffs with the financial realities facing ordinary Nigerians, maintaining that the administration would continue exploring measures to protect vulnerable households while supporting electricity operators.

The issue of electricity subsidies has also become part of the emerging political disagreement.

Atiku demanded greater clarity over the government’s reported plans to end electricity subsidies from 2027, questioning how the policy would affect consumers already dealing with higher energy costs.

He argued that assurances against immediate tariff increases were insufficient without a clear explanation of the proposed arrangements and the extent to which additional costs could eventually be transferred to households and businesses.

The former Vice-President also raised concerns about Value Added Tax on electricity and the five per cent surcharge provided for certain fossil fuels, including petrol and diesel, under the Nigeria Tax Act.

He acknowledged that the government had said the surcharge was not activated and would require a ministerial order, but argued that Nigerians deserved clarity about its possible implications.

Beyond financial interventions, Alake pointed to the administration’s investments and proposed improvements in electricity transmission infrastructure.

He said Tinubu had reviewed the Presidential Power Initiative inherited from the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari and signed an acceleration agreement with German partners in December 2023.

The initiative, popularly associated with Nigeria’s partnership with Siemens, is intended to improve generation evacuation, transmission capacity and distribution infrastructure.

Alake disclosed that the Federal Executive Council approved an initial batch of contracts in December 2024 for the upgrade of five Transmission Company of Nigeria substations located in major electricity load centres.

He said the projects were approaching completion and were expected to be commissioned before the end of Tinubu’s first term.

The council also approved another group of projects in June 2026, involving the construction of eight new substations and the upgrade of four existing facilities.

Other proposed interventions include the modernisation of the Osogbo Grid Control Centre, which has been in operation for more than six decades, and the development of an East-West super grid intended to strengthen the national transmission network.

Alake also highlighted solar electricity projects being implemented through the Rural Electrification Agency, particularly those targeting universities, hospitals and underserved rural communities.

These projects form part of the administration’s broader effort to expand electricity access beyond communities that depend entirely on the national grid.

Atiku, however, maintained that approving projects and announcing infrastructure investments should not be confused with delivering reliable electricity to consumers.

“Dele Alake’s statement cannot light a home. Signing a law is not electricity. Raising a bond is not electricity. Approving a project is not power delivered.

Nigerians cannot cook, study, work or sustain a business on announcements.

“President Tinubu invited Nigerians to judge him by his performance. They have done so. What they seek is simple: reliable electricity they can afford, and a government that keeps its word,” he said.

The ADC presidential candidate also used the disagreement to outline his proposed approach to electricity pricing if elected.

He promised to work with state governments and electricity regulators to abolish the existing five-band tariff classification and introduce a framework that would place greater emphasis on affordability, transparency and accountability.

According to Atiku, electricity distribution companies should be held responsible for the quality and reliability of the service they provide, while consumers should not be expected to bear disproportionate costs for electricity that is unavailable or inconsistent.

“Steady power that Nigerians can afford will be a national priority,” he added.

The proposal raises broader questions about how an alternative administration would balance affordable electricity prices with the substantial investment required to maintain generation, transmission and distribution infrastructure.

The APC, for its part, maintains that the current reforms are intended to address problems that have accumulated over several administrations and cannot be resolved through a single policy announcement or financial intervention.

Alake insisted that Tinubu remained committed to improving electricity supply and would present the administration’s scorecard, including completed projects, regulatory reforms and outstanding challenges, as the President seeks another term in 2027.

The disagreement comes at a time when electricity remains central to Nigeria’s economic prospects. Manufacturers, small businesses, schools, hospitals and households all depend on a more predictable energy supply to manage operating costs and maintain essential services.

The political debate is therefore likely to extend beyond campaign promises to questions about measurable generation capacity, transmission performance, distribution efficiency, metering coverage and the affordability of electricity for different categories of consumers.

INEC has scheduled the presidential and National Assembly elections for January 16, 2027, placing the electricity debate within a campaign period in which both the ruling party and opposition candidates will be expected to explain their policy positions and records.

For Tinubu’s administration, the challenge is to demonstrate how its financial and regulatory interventions are improving the electricity experience of ordinary Nigerians.

For Atiku and the ADC, the task is to explain how their proposed tariff reforms would protect consumers while ensuring that electricity providers can sustain and improve their services.

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Ultimately, the central question remains whether the country’s ongoing power sector reforms can translate into dependable and affordable electricity for the millions of Nigerians who continue to rely on generators and other alternative sources to meet their daily energy needs.