Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has criticised the administration of President Bola Tinubu over its handling of Nigeria’s electricity challenges, saying government laws, committees, bonds and project announcements have failed to deliver reliable power to households and businesses.
Atiku accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council of attempting to divert attention from what he described as the President’s unfulfilled electricity promises through explanations of government policies and initiatives.
In a statement issued on Sunday by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) Presidential Campaign Council, Atiku said Nigerians were more interested in reliable electricity than government announcements.
“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,” he said.
He noted that traders and small business owners continued to spend scarce resources on alternative sources of power, while consumers were billed for electricity supply they could not depend on.
Atiku also faulted the existing electricity tariff structure, which places consumers in Bands A, B, C, D and E, with different rates depending on their locations and electricity distribution companies.
He said customers in some areas pay about ₦209.50 per unit under Band A, before value-added tax (VAT), yet electricity supply remains unreliable across the various bands.
“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 stated.
The former Vice President also questioned the Federal Government’s plan to end electricity subsidies from 2027, despite assurances that there would be no immediate increase in tariffs.
He demanded clarification on the likely impact of the proposed subsidy removal on consumers’ electricity bills.
Atiku said he would work with state governments and regulators, within the law, to abolish the existing band system and introduce what he described as a fair, transparent and affordable electricity tariff framework.
According to him, such a framework would protect households and ensure that electricity distribution companies are held accountable for the power they supply.
Recalling President Tinubu’s campaign promise in 2022, Atiku quoted him as saying: “If I don’t give you constant electricity for four years, when I come back for a second term, don’t vote for me.”
He argued that Nigerians had now lived through the period covered by the promise and should not need the President’s campaign council to interpret his words.
Atiku further alleged that the Tinubu administration had not built any new power generation infrastructure of its own to increase the country’s electricity capacity.
He also questioned the effectiveness of the government’s multitrillion-naira bond programme aimed at settling outstanding debts owed to power generation companies.
According to him, settling legacy debts does not amount to building new electricity infrastructure or guaranteeing improved power supply.
“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 former Vice President also raised concerns over VAT on electricity and a proposed five per cent surcharge under the Nigeria Tax Act on certain fossil fuels, including petrol and diesel.
He noted that the government had said the surcharge had not been activated and would require a ministerial order, but argued that Nigerians deserved clarity on the possibility of additional energy-related charges amid rising living costs.
Atiku maintained that government legislation, bond programmes and project approvals could not replace actual electricity delivery.
“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,” he said.
He added that Nigerians needed affordable and reliable electricity to support their homes, education and businesses, urging the Tinubu administration to fulfil its campaign promises.
The statement was signed by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication, ADC Presidential Campaign Council, on November 1, 2026.
