Former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi has called on Nigerians to demand that President Bola Tinubu fulfil his 2022 campaign pledge to deliver steady electricity within his first four-year term or forfeit support for a second term.
In a statement posted on his verified X (formerly Twitter) account on January 28, 2026, Obi highlighted the recent collapse of the national grid twice in the first month of the year, describing it as a direct contradiction of the president's earlier commitment.
Obi wrote: “President Bola Tinubu’s campaign promise in 2022 was clear: ‘If I do not provide steady electricity in my first four years, do not vote for me for a second term.’ Yet, in January 2026 alone, the national grid has already collapsed twice, and the month is not even over. Last year, it collapsed about twelve times. This reality sharply contradicts the promise and should worry every patriotic Nigerian.”
The former Anambra State governor also drew a sharp contrast between Nigeria’s electricity generation capacity and that of Turkey, where President Tinubu was on an official visit at the time of the statement. “At the same time, the President is on another foreign trip, this time to Turkey, a country of about 87 million people—roughly a third of Nigeria’s population. Yet Turkey generates and distributes over 120,000 megawatts of electricity, while Nigeria struggles with less than 5% of that capacity. The contrast is both striking and painful,” Obi stated.
He urged the president to prioritise domestic challenges over frequent international travel. “Our appeal is simple: stay at home and confront the nation’s problems. At this rate, we may soon hear of trips to Palau or Vanuatu while critical issues remain unattended at home,” he said.
Obi expressed concern that public attention has shifted toward the 2027 elections rather than pressing governance issues. “And yet, our collective preoccupation seems to be the next election, rather than how to secure good governance. We should be joining hands to demand accountability and responsible leadership, and to save Nigerians from the indignity and suffering caused by persistent bad governance,” he added.
He concluded the statement with his signature phrase: “A New Nigeria is POssible.”
The national grid recorded multiple collapses in 2025, with the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) attributing incidents to factors such as gas shortages, vandalism, and system instability. The two collapses in January 2026 have renewed public frustration over persistent power outages and their economic impact.
Obi’s remarks come amid ongoing debates about Nigeria’s electricity sector reforms, including the Siemens power project, privatisation challenges, and the need for greater investment in generation, transmission, and distribution infrastructure.
The former presidential candidate has consistently used social media to comment on national issues, particularly governance, economic management, and public service delivery.
No immediate response has been issued from the presidency or the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to Obi’s statement as of January 28, 2026.
