Peter Obi, former governor of Anambra State and presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 election, has criticised President Bola Tinubu over recurring national grid collapses, saying the development contradicts the president’s campaign promise on electricity supply.
In a post on X on Wednesday, Obi recalled Tinubu’s 2022 pledge that Nigerians should deny him a second term if he failed to provide steady electricity within four years.
“If I do not provide steady electricity in my first four years, do not vote for me for a second term,” Obi quoted the president as saying. He noted that the national grid had already collapsed twice in January 2026 alone, adding that it collapsed about 12 times in 2025.
“This reality sharply contradicts the promise and should worry every patriotic Nigerian,” he said.
Obi also criticised Tinubu’s ongoing state visit to Türkiye, drawing a comparison between Nigeria’s power sector and that of the European country. He said Türkiye, with a population of about 87 million, generates over 120,000 megawatts of electricity, while Nigeria struggles with “less than 5 per cent of that capacity.”
According to him, “The contrast is both striking and painful,” urging the president to “stay at home and confront the nation’s problems.”
The former presidential candidate warned against what he described as misplaced priorities, saying Nigerians appeared more focused on the next election than on governance.
“We should be joining hands to demand accountability and responsible leadership, and to save Nigerians from the indignity and suffering caused by persistent bad governance,” Obi said.
