Atiku Accuses Tinubu of Failing to Deliver Steady Electricity, Vows to Scrap Five-Band Tariff System

Former Vice-President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has accused President Bola Tinubu of failing to fulfil his campaign promise to provide Nigerians with steady electricity, despite spending over three years in office. He also pledged to abolish the existing five-band electricity tariff system if elected president.

Atiku, in a statement issued on Sunday by Phrank Shaibu, spokesperson for the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, criticised the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for highlighting policy initiatives and financial interventions in the power sector while Nigerians continued to experience unreliable electricity supply.

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He said households and businesses were struggling with rising energy costs, adding that many Nigerians were forced to spend scarce resources on alternative power sources despite paying electricity bills. Atiku also faulted the five-band tariff structure, arguing that consumers across all categories continued to pay for electricity without receiving reliable supply.

The former vice-president promised to work with state governments and regulators to replace the existing tariff structure with what he described as a fair, transparent and affordable framework that would protect consumers and hold electricity distribution companies accountable for the quality of service delivered. He also questioned the administration’s multitrillion-naira bond programme for settling legacy debts in the power sector, insisting that clearing old debts was not a substitute for building new generation infrastructure.

Atiku’s criticism followed an earlier defence by Dele Alake, spokesperson for the APC Presidential Campaign Council, who argued that Tinubu’s 2023 electricity promise had been taken out of context. Alake cited the Electricity Act 2023, the presidential metering initiative and the bond programme as evidence of the administration’s efforts to improve the power sector. However, Atiku maintained that Nigerians should judge the president by tangible results, insisting that reliable and affordable electricity remained the real measure of performance.