Peter Obi criticises Tinubu over campaign promise amid national grid collapse

Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has slammed President Bola Tinubu over his 2022 campaign promise to deliver stable electricity, following the second collapse of Nigeria’s national power grid in January 2026.

In a statement shared on his verified X account on Wednesday, titled “No Steady Power in Four Years, No Second Term,” Obi highlighted that the repeated grid failures underscore the persistent instability in the nation’s power sector and contradict assurances made before the 2023 election.

“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, ” he said.

Obi noted that the grid had collapsed approximately twelve times in 2025, and warned that such recurring failures should be a source of serious concern for Nigerians.

The former Anambra State governor also criticised Tinubu’s frequent foreign travels, pointing out that the president was currently in Turkey while major domestic issues persisted.

Obi drew a comparison between Nigeria and Turkey, emphasising the disparity in electricity generation capacities.

“Turkey, a country with roughly a third of Nigeria’s population, generates and distributes over 120,000 megawatts of electricity, while Nigeria struggles with less than five per cent of that capacity.

The contrast is both striking and painful,” Obi said.

He urged the president to prioritize addressing domestic challenges over foreign trips.

“Our appeal is simple: stay at home and confront the nation’s problems. If the trend continues, Nigerians might soon hear of trips to Palau or Vanuatu while critical issues remain unattended at home,” he added.

Obi further expressed concern that the administration appears overly focused on the 2027 elections rather than governance.

He called on Nigerians to demand accountability and responsible leadership to alleviate the hardships caused by persistent governance challenges.

“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,” Obi stressed.