Presidential aide insists President never made outright re-election pledge tied to electricity supply, cites ongoing reforms and structural challenges in power sector

The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Publicity, Bayo Onanuga, has dismissed claims that the President vowed not to seek re-election if he fails to significantly improve electricity supply in Nigeria.

President Tinubu, during a business luncheon in December 2022 ahead of the 2023 general election, had said: “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, speaking during an interview on Arise News on Tuesday, Onanuga said the statement has been repeatedly misrepresented, insisting that it was conditional and not an outright pledge to forgo a second term.

According to him, critics have often isolated portions of the President’s remarks without considering the full context in which they were made.

“That is not exactly what he said. He said he will give Nigerians power… and he also spoke about ending estimated billing, a problem his government is largely addressing,” Onanuga said, adding that the administration is working with electricity distribution companies to expand metering coverage.

He argued that the President’s comments were meant to reflect intent and commitment rather than a binding electoral condition.

When pressed on whether Tinubu specifically said he should not be re-elected if electricity supply did not improve, Onanuga maintained: “He didn’t say that way.”

Onanuga also highlighted ongoing reforms in the power sector, pointing to the signing of the Electricity Act as one of the administration’s key policy achievements.

“The first thing he did when he came to office was sign the Electricity Act, which enables states to generate, transmit and distribute power,” he said.

He added that the reform has opened up the electricity market to greater participation by states, describing it as a step toward a more competitive and decentralised power sector.

On the issue of estimated billing, Onanuga said the government was taking steps to address the long-standing challenge by increasing the distribution of prepaid meters.

“He also learnt the error of estimated billing… the government is producing meters and asking DISCOs to give them free of charge,” he noted.

While acknowledging that electricity supply has not yet reached the level envisaged by the President, Onanuga said the challenges are rooted in deep structural problems in the sector.

“We are not at the level that the President meant it,” he said.

He explained that although Nigeria has an installed generation capacity of about 13,500 megawatts, actual output remains constrained by several factors, including gas shortages, legacy debts, and weak transmission infrastructure.

“What people don’t know is that we already have an installed capacity of 13,500 megawatts. The problem is gas supply and legacy debts of over four trillion naira owed in the sector,” he said.

According to him, the transmission grid remains outdated, but ongoing reforms are aimed at improving efficiency and expanding capacity across the electricity value chain.

Despite the challenges, Onanuga reiterated that the Tinubu administration remains committed to improving electricity supply and delivering long-term reforms designed to stabilise Nigeria’s power sector.