The All Progressives Congress has pushed back against criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s electricity campaign promise, arguing that his 2023 remarks should not be judged without considering the full statement and the power-sector reforms introduced by his administration.

The party’s Presidential Campaign Council said the president had acknowledged the possibility of falling short of his commitment and had promised to explain any failure to Nigerians before seeking another term in office.

The council’s spokesperson, Dele Alake, made the clarification in a statement released on Sunday, following renewed public attention to Tinubu’s pledge to guarantee electricity supply and eliminate estimated billing during his 2023 presidential campaign.

Alake recalled that Tinubu made the commitment while interacting with members of the Organised Private Sector in Lagos before the last general election.

During the meeting, the then presidential candidate had assured Nigerians that electricity supply would improve and consumers would no longer have to depend on estimated bills. He also challenged voters to withhold their support for him in a second-term election if he failed to deliver, unless he offered satisfactory explanations for the shortcomings.

According to Alake, recent discussions surrounding the promise had focused on the commitment itself while leaving out the qualification Tinubu made about accounting for any failure to meet his target.

The campaign council therefore argued that the president’s performance should be examined alongside the policies, financial interventions and infrastructure projects undertaken since he assumed office in May 2023.

STATES GAIN GREATER CONTROL UNDER NEW ELECTRICITY LAW

Among the administration’s major policy decisions, Alake highlighted the signing of the Electricity Act 2023 on June 9, shortly after Tinubu became president.

The legislation changed the structure of electricity regulation by allowing state governments to establish their own electricity markets, subject to the provisions of the law and regulatory requirements.

Alake said several states, including Lagos, Enugu, Abia, Ekiti, Oyo, Kaduna and Niger, had established electricity regulatory agencies to take advantage of the new framework and encourage private-sector investment.

The administration believes that greater state participation will open up additional opportunities for electricity generation and distribution beyond the existing national market structure.

OVER 1.5 MILLION CUSTOMERS REPORTEDLY METERED

The campaign council also pointed to the Presidential Metering Initiative as one of the measures introduced to address estimated billing.

Alake said the programme was designed to tackle a metering deficit affecting more than seven million electricity customers, adding that over 1.5 million people had received meters through the initiative within the administration’s first three years.

The Federal Ministry of Power has separately confirmed that the Presidential Metering Initiative targets the deployment of five million smart meters by 2027.

In July 2026, the ministry announced the launch of the Power Force Programme, which is expected to train 5,000 Nigerians as certified meter installation technicians to support the nationwide exercise.

The initiative is intended to improve billing accuracy, reduce electricity distribution losses and ensure that consumers are charged according to their actual consumption.

₦4TN BOND PROGRAMME TO ADDRESS POWER SECTOR DEBTS

On the financial challenges facing the industry, Alake said the Tinubu administration had taken steps to address more than ₦6tn in outstanding obligations accumulated between 2015 and 2025.

He explained that the government established a ₦4tn bond programme to settle verified debts owed to electricity generation companies and gas suppliers.

According to him, the first two phases of the programme had generated more than ₦1.2tn for payments to 21 power generation companies and gas suppliers.

The campaign council maintained that clearing these obligations would improve confidence in the electricity market and encourage operators to invest in expanding and maintaining their facilities.

NEW INVESTMENTS PLANNED FOR NATIONAL GRID

Alake also listed transmission infrastructure projects and renewable energy investments among the administration’s interventions.

He said the Rural Electrification Agency had continued to extend solar power connections to universities, healthcare facilities and underserved communities.

The government is also working towards upgrading the Osogbo Grid Control Centre, which Alake said had been in operation for more than six decades, alongside plans for an East-West super grid.

On the Presidential Power Initiative, originally introduced under former President Muhammadu Buhari, the APC spokesperson said Tinubu’s administration reviewed the programme and reached an acceleration agreement with its German partners in December 2023 to speed up implementation.

He further disclosed that the Federal Executive Council approved the rehabilitation of five Transmission Company of Nigeria substations in December 2024.

A subsequent approval in June 2026 covered the construction of eight additional substations and the upgrading of four existing facilities.

Alake explained that the projects involved specialised equipment with lengthy procurement and delivery periods, making it difficult to complete them immediately.

TARIFF ADJUSTMENTS AND ELECTRICITY SERVICE BANDS

The APC campaign council also defended the administration’s decision to move electricity tariffs closer to the actual cost of supplying power.

Alake said the introduction of different electricity service bands was intended to improve the financial position of distribution companies and strengthen the industry’s ability to meet its obligations.

He maintained that the government had also made provisions to cushion vulnerable households against the effects of tariff adjustments.

However, the spokesperson acknowledged that Nigeria’s electricity challenges had not been fully resolved, describing the effort to rebuild the sector as ongoing.

He said Tinubu would present his administration’s achievements, outstanding challenges and plans for further improvements to Nigerians as he seeks another presidential mandate in 2027.

The campaign council maintained that the president had not abandoned his electricity commitment and should be assessed on the basis of his complete remarks and the interventions undertaken since taking office.

Sources: TheCable, Premium Times, Channels Television, The Guardian, Vanguard and Federal Ministry of Power.