The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Publicity, Bayo Onanuga, has refuted claims that the President promised not to seek a second term if he failed to improve electricity supply across Nigeria.
The controversy stems from remarks Tinubu made during a business luncheon in December 2022 ahead of the 2023 presidential election, where he 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.”
Speaking on Arise News, Onanuga argued that the President’s comments had been taken out of context, stressing that the statement was conditional rather than a firm commitment to forgo re-election.
According to him, critics often isolate a portion of Tinubu’s remarks without considering the broader context in which they were made.
Asked whether the President had pledged not to seek re-election if electricity supply failed to improve significantly, Onanuga said that was not an accurate interpretation of the statement.
He explained that Tinubu had promised to improve power supply and address issues such as estimated billing, adding that the administration has already made substantial progress through initiatives aimed at increasing access to electricity meters.
Onanuga further stated that Tinubu had acknowledged the possibility of encountering challenges inherited from previous administrations that could affect the pace of reforms in the power sector.
Defending the administration’s record, he highlighted the signing of the Electricity Act shortly after Tinubu assumed office, describing it as a landmark reform that allows states to generate, transmit and distribute electricity independently.
He said the legislation has opened up the sector, encouraged competition and created opportunities for states to develop their own power infrastructure.
The presidential aide also pointed to ongoing efforts to close the country’s metering gap, noting that the government is supporting programmes aimed at providing electricity meters and reducing reliance on estimated billing.
While admitting that power supply has not yet reached the level envisioned by the President, Onanuga attributed the situation to longstanding structural challenges within the sector.
He noted that Nigeria has an installed electricity generation capacity of about 13,500 megawatts but continues to face obstacles such as inadequate gas supply, legacy debts owed to gas producers and an ageing transmission network.
According to him, the administration is working to address these issues through ongoing reforms designed to strengthen power generation, transmission and distribution.
Onanuga maintained that despite the challenges, the Tinubu administration remains committed to improving electricity supply and delivering lasting reforms in the power sector.
