President Bola Tinubu has promised Nigerians a more reliable electricity supply, saying his administration will address the country’s power challenges if re-elected in the 2027 election.
Tinubu made the pledge on Tuesday at the All Progressives Congress (APC) campaign rally in Dutse, the Jigawa State capital, where he also promised to strengthen the country’s industrial base and expand job opportunities.
“We will reduce the cost of living. We will provide reliable power, not the whole privatisation that is not working. We provide you with reliable power in this Nigeria,” the President said.
He also promised support for small and medium-scale businesses to stimulate economic activity and create more jobs.
“We will stimulate a stronger industrial base for our country. We will help nano, small-scale and medium-scale businesses. We will expand job opportunities for real income earners,” he said.
On agriculture, Tinubu pledged increased investment in the sector, including subsidies and interest-free loans for farmers, as part of efforts to improve food security and reduce food prices.
“We have to invest in agriculture, we will subsidize farming, we will reward small scale farmers, interest-free loans for farmers are coming, prosperity is coming, food security will happen,” he said.
The President added that his administration would establish mechanised farming centres in six geopolitical locations and encourage universities to increase research and development in agriculture.
“We are going to install mechanized farming centres in six geographical locations. Our universities will involve in research and development more in agriculture than ever before,” he said.
Earlier Electricity Pledge
The latest promise comes amid renewed scrutiny of Tinubu’s earlier campaign commitment to improve electricity supply and end estimated billing.
During a meeting with members of the Organised Private Sector in Lagos ahead of the 2023 general election, the then presidential candidate said Nigerians would have electricity and would no longer pay estimated bills.
“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,” Tinubu said.
He added that Nigerians should not vote for him for a second term if he failed to fulfil the promise, unless he provided adequate reasons for not delivering.
“If I don’t keep the promise and I come for a second term, don’t vote for me, unless I give you adequate reasons why I couldn’t deliver,” he said.
The statement has become a subject of political debate as Tinubu seeks re-election in 2027, with critics interpreting it as a commitment not to seek a second term if he failed to provide stable electricity.
However, the APC Presidential Campaign Council, in a statement on November 1, said the President’s remarks had been taken out of context.
The council’s spokesperson, Dele Alake, argued that some commentaries had left out the concluding qualification in which Tinubu said he would provide Nigerians with adequate reasons if he failed to deliver on the promise.
Alake also listed the Electricity Act 2023, the Presidential Metering Initiative, efforts to settle legacy debts in the power sector and investments in transmission infrastructure as steps taken by the administration.
He acknowledged that efforts to resolve the electricity crisis were still ongoing but insisted that Tinubu remained committed to his pledge.
“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,” Alake said.
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