The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has denied claims that his principal promised to provide 24-hour electricity for Nigerians during the 2023 presidential campaign.
According to Onanuga, the claims that Tinubu promised Nigerians 24-hour electricity during the 2023 election campaign are a misrepresentation of his words.
CityNews reports that Onanuga offered the clarification in a statement on Monday, 22nd June, as part of his response to calls by the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, for Tinubu to resign from office over worsening security and economic conditions in Nigeria.
Obi said that, as an example of leadership and accountability, Tinubu should resign just like the British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, announced his resignation over growing dissatisfaction from citizens.
As part of the alleged failures of the Tinubu government, Obi cited insecurity, unreliable electricity supply and worsening economic hardship.
Particularly, he mentioned that President Tinubu, in the build-up to the 2023 elections, had promised Nigerians 24-hour electricity and told them not to re-elect him if he failed to keep the campaign promise.
However, in response to the call and submission, presidential spokesperson Onanuga accused Obi of misrepresenting Tinubu’s 2023 campaign promise. He said the president did not promise 24-hour electricity for all Nigerians.
The presidential media aide added that those claiming Tinubu made such a promise are simply being mischievous.
According to him, Tinubu was addressing Lagosians during his campaign speech, and the context was about paying estimated electricity bills.
“Concerning President Tinubu’s campaign promises on power supply, it is misleading for Peter Obi to parrot the claim that candidate Tinubu guaranteed 24-hour electricity for all. What he actually said on that occasion in Lagos and which Obi and his followers have consistently misquoted, for the sake of mischief, was: “Whichever way, by all means necessary, you will have electricity, and you will not pay for estimated bills anymore. A promise made will be a promise kept. If I don’t keep the promise and I come for a second term, don’t vote for me—unless I give you adequate reasons why I couldn’t deliver.,” Onanuga said.
To justify his principal’s performance in office, specifically in the power sector, the presidential aide said Tinubu’s administration had signed the Electricity Act, expanded prepaid meter deployment and invested in alternative power sources.
