The All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council (APC-PCC) has insisted that President Bola Tinubu remains committed to fulfilling his campaign promise to end estimated electricity billing and improve power supply.
The council said earlier today, November 1, that although the electricity sector continued to face significant challenges, the administration was implementing reforms to address the problems and deliver on its 2023 pledge.
Tinubu made the promise while addressing members of the Organised Private Sector in Lagos ahead of the 2023 general elections. He had assured Nigerians that they would enjoy electricity without paying estimated bills, adding that voters should reject him in 2027 if he failed to deliver without providing adequate reasons.
In a statement, APC-PCC spokesperson Dele Alake said critics had failed to consider the full context of the President’s promise, particularly his commitment to explain any shortcomings to Nigerians before seeking re-election.
Alake said a fair assessment of Tinubu’s performance should consider developments in electricity generation, metering, transmission infrastructure, and market stability since he assumed office in May 2023.
“While fixing the power sector crisis remains unfinished, the President is working consistently to deliver on his promise to Nigerians, and his commitment to face the challenges head-on has never diminished,” the statement said.
The council identified the Electricity Act, 2023, signed by Tinubu on June 9, less than two weeks after his inauguration, as a major step towards reforming the sector.
It said the legislation opened up the electricity market to state governments, allowing them to participate in power generation, transmission and distribution.
According to the APC-PCC, Lagos, Enugu, Abia, Ekiti, Oyo, Kaduna and Niger states have begun establishing electricity regulatory agencies to attract private investment.
On the sector’s financial challenges, the council said the federal government had assumed responsibility for more than ₦6 trillion in legacy debts accumulated between 2015 and 2025.
It added that the administration introduced a ₦4 trillion bond programme to settle verified debts owed to 21 electricity generation and gas companies. The first two tranches have raised more than ₦1.2 trillion, which the council said would support investments in power generation facilities.
The APC-PCC also highlighted the Presidential Metering Initiative, introduced to address a shortfall of more than seven million meters. It claimed that over 1.5 million customers had received meters in the last three years.
The council further cited solar power projects targeting universities, hospitals and rural communities through the Rural Electrification Agency.
On transmission infrastructure, it said Tinubu had reviewed the Presidential Power Initiative inherited from the previous administration and signed an acceleration agreement with German partners in December 2023.
It added that the Federal Executive Council approved contracts for five Transmission Company of Nigeria substations in December 2024, with the projects expected to be completed and commissioned before the end of Tinubu’s first term.
The council also disclosed that the Federal Executive Council approved another contract in June 2026 for eight new substations and upgrades to four existing facilities.
It said plans were also underway to modernise the Osogbo Grid Control Centre, which is more than 60 years old, and construct an East-West super grid.
“Power project implementation requires equipment that is a long-lead item and thus cannot be achieved overnight,” the statement said.
Addressing concerns over electricity tariffs, Alake said the administration was working towards aligning tariffs with production costs to improve liquidity in the electricity market while protecting low-income households.
He explained that service-based tariff bands were designed to strengthen the financial position of distribution companies, improve cash flow and reduce the government’s electricity subsidy burden.
“The administration will continue to explore ways to improve the commercial situation of the power sector while protecting access to electricity for the less privileged in society,” the statement added.
The APC-PCC maintained that the electricity reforms remained ongoing and insisted that Tinubu had not abandoned his campaign commitment.
