The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, has hinged the endorsement of President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid on giving Nigerians and breaking power sector barrier than previous administrations.
Yilwatda spoke in Abuja on Thursday after receiving President Tinubu’s completed expresaion of interest and nomination forms.
And despite the complaints trailing the deterioration of power in the country, the APC national chairman boldly said that President Tinubu has fulfilled his commitment to the party and to the Nigerian public.
While chronicling his laudable infrastructural achievements, the ruling party boss quipped that anyone living in Nigeria knows that power supply is more stable today than previously.
He emphatically notes that considering what he has done to turn around the declining fortune of the country, the National Working Committee (NWC) has resolved to join Nigerians in overwhelmingly endorsing him.
“Today marks continuity — continuity of bravery, courage and renewal; continuity in infrastructure development across the country; and continuity in the reforms of Mr President to ensure that the fiscal pressures we faced, which have now been softened, are sustained.
“As a party, we are happy that this support is not just from the NWC alone. Last year, the governors and all of us seated here, who are members of the National Executive Committee (NEC), overwhelmingly and without exemption endorsed Mr President for a second term.
“To us, this is a commitment to the party and to the Nigerian people. Some people may ask why the party is overwhelmingly saying Mr President deserves a second term. We all know that Nigeria was at a crossroads, especially economically.
“The fiscal pressures we experienced at a point made many believe the economy would collapse and infrastructure would decay. The international community also had doubts about Nigeria’s economy.
“There is also the power sector reform. Someone once asked me about Mr President’s promise on electricity, and I said Mr President has introduced reforms that liberalised the power sector.
“Today, states can generate their own electricity. Many governors are already generating and supplying power within their states. I know about 11 states have already fixed the cost of electricity in their states.
“Before now, only the Federal Government controlled the national grid, and states could not independently generate and distribute power. But today, states are free to participate, while the national grid remains available to transmit power across the country.
“Other energy sources, including solar and wind, are also being developed to ensure stable electricity supply nationwide. Anyone in Nigeria knows that power supply is more stable today than before. Many state governments are already investing in independent power projects to stabilise electricity in their states.
“To me, this is one of the greatest barriers broken in Nigeria’s power sector because states are now generating independent electricity to support development.
“For all Mr President has done for this country, we in the NWC have agreed to join everyone here in endorsing him for a second term,” he said.
