‘Don’t Vote For Me’: Obi Uses Tinubu’s Words Against Him As Power Crisis Worsens

Former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi has taken President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to task over the country’s worsening electricity crisis, quoting the president’s own campaign promise back at him.

During the 2023 electioneering, Tinubu told Nigerians: “If I don’t give you constant electricity in four years, don’t vote for me for a second term.”

Obi says that promise has not been kept. He pointed out that when Tinubu assumed office in 2023, the national grid supplied over 4,000 megawatts with lower tariffs. Today, average generation has slipped below that level while consumers pay more.

Nigeria’s per capita electricity consumption stands at just 144 kWh, far below Africa’s average of 617 kWh. The figure, Obi noted, confirms the country has one of the lowest electricity usage rates in the world.

NaijaChoice News reports that Obi made the remarks in a post on his verified X handle on Saturday morning. He described the situation as a clear case of broken trust and disregard for the suffering of ordinary Nigerians.

The former Anambra governor drew attention to President Tinubu’s brief stopover at Jos airport on Thursday, April 2, while visiting families of victims of a recent attack. Tinubu reportedly told officials there was no electricity at the facility and that he would fly out in ten minutes.

Obi said the incident was telling. “At a time when Nigerians are enduring days without power, our leaders cannot even stay a few minutes without it,” he wrote.

He urged citizens to reject leaders he described as lacking capacity and compassion. “Now is the time to stop incompetent leaders—those lacking the capacity and compassion—who prioritise their own comfort over the well-being of the people and make empty promises,” Obi declared.

The power crisis continues to bite hard across the country. Households in Lagos, Kano, Enugu and other major cities still rely on costly generators, while small businesses struggle with high tariffs and unstable supply.

Obi’s intervention has once again placed the electricity question at the centre of national discourse, barely three years into the Tinubu administration. Many Nigerians are watching to see how the government responds to the latest challenge on its key campaign promise.