The Presidency has dismissed claims that President Bola Tinubu promised not to seek a second term if he failed to deliver improved electricity supply to Nigerians.
Speaking on Arise News on Tuesday, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Bayo Onanuga, said comments made by Tinubu during a business luncheon in December 2022 had been misconstrued.
Ahead of the 2023 presidential election, Tinubu had stated, “If I don’t give you constant electricity for four years, when I come back for a second term, don’t vote for me.”
However, Onanuga maintained that the President’s statement was conditional and should not be interpreted as a pledge to withdraw from seeking re-election if power supply remained inadequate.
According to him, critics have repeatedly taken the President’s remarks out of context by focusing on a single aspect of the statement while ignoring the broader message.
“That is not exactly what he said,” Onanuga said during the interview. “He said he would provide electricity for Nigerians and also address the issue of estimated billing. He explained that if, for any reason, he was unable to achieve the desired results, Nigerians should consider the challenges his administration inherited.”
Pressed on whether Tinubu had explicitly told Nigerians not to re-elect him if electricity supply failed to improve, the presidential aide insisted the statement had been wrongly interpreted.
“He didn’t say it that way,” Onanuga said, adding that the President’s exact comments would provide clearer context.
Defending the administration’s performance in the power sector, Onanuga highlighted the signing of the Electricity Act as one of Tinubu’s first major actions after assuming office. He noted that the legislation empowers states to generate, transmit and distribute electricity independently, creating a more competitive and decentralised power sector.
“The first thing he did when he came to office was sign the Electricity Act, which enables states to generate power, transmit power and distribute power,” he said.
Onanuga added that several states had already begun taking advantage of the opportunities created by the law, while more were expected to follow suit.
He also pointed to government efforts to tackle the long-standing problem of estimated billing through expanded metering programmes and interventions aimed at ensuring more Nigerians receive electricity meters.
While acknowledging that electricity supply has not yet reached the level envisioned by the President, Onanuga attributed the situation to deep-rooted structural challenges in the sector.
“We are not at the level that the President meant it. I can tell you that,” he said.
According to him, Nigeria’s installed electricity generation capacity stands at about 13,500 megawatts, but factors such as inadequate gas supply, huge legacy debts owed to gas companies and an ageing transmission network have hindered optimal performance.
“What people don’t know is that we already have an installed capacity of 13,500 megawatts. What are the problems? No gas. The players in the sector owe gas companies legacy debts of over four trillion naira,” he explained.
Onanuga said the administration was implementing reforms to address the challenges, including efforts to modernise the transmission grid and improve power generation and distribution.
He expressed confidence that ongoing reforms would strengthen the sector and ultimately lead to better electricity supply across the country.
Despite existing challenges, the presidential spokesman maintained that the Tinubu administration remains committed to fulfilling its promise of transforming Nigeria’s power sector and improving service delivery for citizens.
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