The Presidential Campaign Council of All Progressives Congress (PCC-APC) has defended President Bola Tinubu over his 2023 campaign promise to end estimated electricity billing and ensure stable power supply.
Politics Nigeria reports that the party said fixing Nigeria’s troubled power sector was an ongoing process, adding that the president had introduced several reforms and interventions to address longstanding challenges in the industry.
Dele Alake, spokesperson for the council, stated this in an article published on Sunday while responding to public scrutiny of Tinubu’s electricity campaign promise ahead of the 2027 general elections.
During a meeting with members of the Organised Private Sector (OPS) in Lagos before the 2023 elections, Tinubu had promised to tackle the country’s persistent electricity challenges, particularly estimated billing.
The then presidential candidate had declared: “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 had also challenged Nigerians to reject his second-term ambition if he failed to deliver on the promise without providing adequate explanations.
According to Alake, some public commentators had reproduced the pledge without including Tinubu’s concluding qualification that he would explain any failure to meet the target before seeking another mandate.
He argued that the president’s promise should be assessed alongside his administration’s policies and interventions in the power sector since assuming office in 2023.
Highlighting the administration’s achievements, Alake said Tinubu signed the Electricity Act, 2023, on June 9, less than two weeks after taking office.
He explained that the legislation opened up the electricity market by allowing state governments to participate in power generation, transmission and distribution.
Alake listed Lagos, Enugu, Abia, Ekiti, Oyo, Kaduna and Niger among the states that had established electricity regulatory agencies to take advantage of the new law and attract private investment.
He also said the president had taken steps to address over N6 trillion in legacy debts accumulated in the power sector between 2015 and 2025.
The APC spokesperson disclosed that the administration introduced the Presidential Metering Initiative to address an estimated metering gap of more than seven million customers.
He added that over 1.5 million electricity customers had been metered under the initiative in the last three years.
According to him, the administration also adjusted electricity tariffs towards cost-reflective levels to improve liquidity in the market while introducing measures to protect low-income households.
Alake further disclosed that the Rural Electrification Agency had connected universities, hospitals and rural communities to solar power.
He said the government was also pursuing plans to modernise the Osogbo Grid Control Centre, which was built more than 60 years ago, and construct an East-West super grid.
On the administration’s efforts to settle outstanding debts in the electricity market, Alake said it established a N4 trillion bond programme to clear verified legacy debts owed to 21 electricity generation companies (Gencos) and gas companies (Gascos).
He disclosed that the first and second tranches of the programme had raised over N1.2 trillion to settle part of the outstanding obligations.
Alake argued that the intervention had reduced investment risks in the sector and encouraged power generation companies to invest in upgrading their facilities.
He cited Geregu Power Plc’s recent announcement of investments in new power transformers to improve operations at its Geregu 1 Power Plant as evidence of renewed investment activity.
The APC spokesperson also acknowledged that Tinubu inherited some electricity projects from the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, including the Presidential Power Initiative (PPI).
He said Tinubu reviewed the existing agreement and signed an Acceleration Agreement with the German partners in December 2023 to speed up projects aimed at improving the national transmission grid.
According to him, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved the first batch of contracts in December 2024 for the upgrade of five Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) substations in major electricity load centres.
He said the projects were nearing completion and would be commissioned before the end of Tinubu’s first term.
Alake added that FEC approved another batch of projects in June 2026, covering the construction of eight new substations and the upgrade of four existing facilities.
He explained that electricity infrastructure projects required specialised equipment with long procurement timelines, making immediate delivery unrealistic.
On electricity tariffs, Alake said the administration recognised the difficulty of balancing the need for cost-reflective charges with the affordability of electricity for ordinary Nigerians.
He said the introduction of service bands was part of efforts to improve the financial position of electricity distribution companies and strengthen cash flow in the market.
According to him, the policy had also reduced the government’s financial burden arising from electricity subsidies.
He maintained that the administration would continue to explore measures to improve the commercial viability of the electricity market without denying less privileged Nigerians access to power.
“Fixing the electricity market and power sector is ongoing work,” Alake stated.
He insisted that Tinubu had not abandoned his campaign commitment and would present his administration’s achievements and outstanding challenges in the power sector as he seeks re-election in 2027.
“As he seeks Nigerians’ mandate for a second term in office, he will proudly present his scorecard in the power sector and clearly tell Nigerians what remains to be done,” he added.
