Tinubu Promised Electricity Or No Second Term — APC Now Offers Explanation As 2027 Election Approaches!
By Passman Akpos
The All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council has defended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over mounting public criticism of his administration’s electricity performance, insisting that the President has not abandoned his 2023 campaign promise to provide Nigerians with stable electricity and end estimated billing.
In a press statement issued on Sunday, November 1, 2026, and signed by Dele Alake, spokesperson of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, the ruling party argued that Tinubu’s controversial electricity campaign pledge must be assessed in its entirety rather than through selected portions of his remarks.
The statement comes amid renewed public scrutiny of the President’s promise, made during an interaction with members of the Organised Private Sector (OPS) in Lagos ahead of the 2023 presidential election.
At the meeting, Tinubu had assured Nigerians that his administration would tackle the country’s electricity challenges and eliminate estimated billing.
His exact words were: “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 further challenged Nigerians to deny him a second-term mandate if he failed to deliver, unless he provided adequate explanations for his inability to fulfil the promise.
However, the APC Campaign Council accused some commentators of deliberately reproducing the President’s statement without including the concluding qualification concerning his obligation to explain any failure before seeking re-election.
According to Alake, a fair assessment of the President’s electricity promise must consider the complete statement alongside the administration’s achievements and ongoing interventions in the power sector since assuming office in May 2023.
APC Lists Tinubu’s Electricity Sector Interventions
Defending the administration’s performance, the APC Campaign Council highlighted the signing of the Electricity Act, 2023, by President Tinubu on June 9, 2023, barely two weeks after assuming office.
The council described the legislation as a major policy intervention that liberalised Nigeria’s electricity sector by allowing state governments to establish their own electricity markets and participate in power generation, transmission and distribution.
It listed Lagos, Enugu, Abia, Ekiti, Oyo, Kaduna and Niger among the states that have started taking advantage of the legislation by establishing electricity regulatory agencies and attracting private investment.
The statement also disclosed that the Tinubu administration inherited more than ₦6 trillion in accumulated legacy debts in the electricity sector between 2015 and 2025.
It said the Federal Government subsequently introduced a ₦4 trillion bond programme to settle verified outstanding debts owed to 21 electricity generation companies (Gencos) and gas companies (Gascos).
According to the council, the first and second tranches of the bond programme have raised more than ₦1.2 trillion to address part of the outstanding obligations.
The APC maintained that settling the inherited debts would improve confidence in the electricity market, reduce investment risks and encourage power generation companies to upgrade their facilities.
1.5 Million Customers Metered Under Tinubu
On the controversial issue of estimated billing, which featured prominently in Tinubu’s 2023 campaign promise, the APC disclosed that more than 1.5 million electricity customers had been metered under the Presidential Metering Initiative within the last three years.
The council said the initiative was designed to address Nigeria’s metering deficit, which it estimated at more than seven million customers.
It also highlighted investments in electricity infrastructure, including the Rural Electrification Agency’s efforts to connect universities, hospitals and rural communities to solar-powered electricity.
The administration, according to the statement, has also unveiled plans to modernise the Osogbo Grid Control Centre, which it described as more than 60 years old, alongside plans to construct an East-West super grid.
APC Defends Electricity Tariff Increases
Addressing concerns over electricity tariff increases and affordability, the ruling party argued that Tinubu identified the commercial challenges confronting the power sector and introduced policies aimed at improving its financial sustainability.
The council explained that the introduction of different electricity service bands was intended to improve the financial position of distribution companies while reducing the government’s financial burden associated with electricity subsidies.
It maintained that the administration was attempting to balance the need for cost-reflective tariffs with the responsibility of protecting low-income households from unaffordable electricity costs.
However, the tariff adjustments have remained a contentious issue among Nigerians, particularly households and businesses struggling with rising living costs and inconsistent electricity supply.
Tinubu Accelerates Buhari-Era German Electricity Project
The APC Campaign Council also defended Tinubu’s handling of the Presidential Power Initiative (PPI), an electricity infrastructure programme initiated under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari in partnership with German interests.
According to Alake, Tinubu reviewed the existing agreement and signed an Acceleration Agreement in December 2023 to speed up the implementation of projects aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s transmission network.
The statement disclosed that the Federal Executive Council approved contracts in December 2024 for the first batch of five Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) substations located in strategic electricity load centres.
It further stated that the projects were approaching completion and would be commissioned before the end of Tinubu’s first term.
Additionally, the council disclosed that the Federal Executive Council approved another batch of electricity infrastructure projects in June 2026, involving the construction of eight new substations and the upgrading of four existing facilities.
The APC argued that electricity infrastructure projects require specialised equipment and lengthy procurement and installation processes, insisting that meaningful improvements cannot happen overnight.
APC Points To Geregu Power Investment
In another attempt to demonstrate growing investor confidence in the electricity market, the campaign council cited recent investments announced by Geregu Power Plc in new power transformers to improve operations at its Geregu 1 Power Plant.
It said other companies were also making similar investments following the Federal Government’s interventions in the sector.
The council argued that the developments demonstrated that efforts to reposition the electricity market were beginning to produce results.
Tinubu To Present Electricity Scorecard Before 2027 Election
Reaffirming the President’s commitment, the APC Presidential Campaign Council insisted that fixing Nigeria’s electricity sector remained an ongoing responsibility and that Tinubu had not abandoned his campaign promise.
Alake maintained that the President would present his administration’s achievements in the power sector to Nigerians as he seeks another presidential mandate.
“President Tinubu has not deviated an inch from his commitment,” the statement declared.
It added that the President would proudly present his electricity sector scorecard and explain outstanding challenges to Nigerians before seeking their support for a second term.
Nigerians Still Await Answers On Electricity Promise
Despite the explanations offered by the ruling party, the central question surrounding Tinubu’s 2023 electricity pledge remains whether ordinary Nigerians are experiencing the stable and reliable electricity supply they were promised.
While the APC has highlighted legislative reforms, metering initiatives, debt settlements, tariff restructuring and transmission infrastructure projects, the ultimate test of the administration’s performance will remain measurable improvements in electricity availability, affordability and reliability.
For millions of households and businesses, the debate is not simply about the number of policies introduced or debts settled, but whether electricity supply has improved sufficiently to reduce dependence on expensive generators and ease the financial pressure associated with unreliable power.
With the 2027 presidential election approaching, electricity supply is likely to remain one of the major issues on which Nigerians will assess Tinubu’s first-term performance.
The APC has offered its defence. Nigerians will ultimately determine whether the administration has delivered sufficiently on its promise.
