Despite Video Evidence, Onanuga Denies Tinubu’s ‘Don’t Re-elect Me If I Fail On Power’ Remarks

The Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has dismissed widespread claims that President Tinubu pledged not to seek re-election if he fails to significantly improve electricity supply across Nigeria, describing the interpretation as a distortion of the President’s actual remarks.

Speaking during an interview on Arise News on Tuesday, Onanuga maintained that the President’s comments on electricity reforms, made during the 2022 election campaign, have repeatedly been taken out of context by critics and political opponents.

The controversy stems from a statement made by Tinubu at a business luncheon in December 2022, ahead of the 2023 presidential election, where he declared: “If I don’t give you constant electricity for four years, when I come back for a second term, don’t vote for me.”

The comment has since resurfaced in public discourse amid ongoing concerns about electricity supply across the country.

However, Onanuga argued that the President’s statement was conditional and should not be interpreted as a categorical promise to forgo a second-term bid if power challenges persist.

According to him, critics often quote only a portion of the statement while ignoring the broader context in which it was delivered.

“That is not exactly what he said,” Onanuga stated during the interview. “He promised to improve power supply and also address issues such as estimated billing. He made it clear that if there were circumstances preventing him from delivering adequate electricity, Nigerians should understand the challenges inherited by his administration.”

The presidential spokesman further highlighted several initiatives undertaken by the Tinubu administration to reform the electricity sector since assuming office in May 2023.

Among the key achievements cited was the signing of the Electricity Act, a landmark legislation that decentralizes power generation, transmission, and distribution by granting states greater authority to participate in the electricity market.

According to Onanuga, the law has opened up opportunities for states to independently generate and distribute electricity, creating a more competitive and efficient power sector.

“The first thing President Tinubu did when he came into office was sign the Electricity Act, which empowers states to generate, transmit, and distribute electricity. Several states are already taking advantage of the opportunities provided by the law, and more are expected to follow,” he said.

He noted that the reforms are designed to attract investment, stimulate competition, and ultimately improve electricity access for millions of Nigerians.

Onanuga also pointed to government efforts to tackle the long-standing issue of estimated billing, describing it as one of the major concerns inherited by the administration.

He explained that the Federal Government has intensified efforts to bridge the metering gap by supporting the production and distribution of electricity meters and encouraging distribution companies (DISCOs) to provide meters to consumers.

Despite acknowledging that electricity supply has not yet reached the level envisioned by the President, Onanuga stressed that the administration inherited deep-rooted structural challenges that cannot be resolved overnight.

“We are not yet at the level the President envisaged, and I can admit that,” he said.

He identified several obstacles affecting the sector, including inadequate gas supply, huge legacy debts owed by industry operators, and an aging transmission infrastructure.

According to him, Nigeria currently possesses an installed electricity generation capacity of approximately 13,500 megawatts, but various operational constraints have prevented the country from maximizing its full potential.

“What many Nigerians may not know is that the country already has an installed generation capacity of about 13,500 megawatts. However, challenges such as gas shortages and legacy debts running into over ₦4 trillion owed to gas suppliers continue to affect performance,” Onanuga explained.

He further revealed that the administration is actively pursuing reforms aimed at resolving these bottlenecks, modernizing the national transmission grid, and enhancing electricity generation and distribution nationwide.

“The transmission infrastructure remains outdated, but addressing that is a key component of the ongoing reforms,” he added.

Onanuga emphasized that the Federal Government remains committed to improving electricity delivery and fulfilling its broader promise of transforming Nigeria’s power sector despite the inherited challenges.

He reiterated that President Tinubu’s administration is focused on implementing sustainable solutions that will strengthen power generation, improve transmission capacity, expand access to electricity, and create a more efficient energy market for the benefit of Nigerians.

As debates continue over the President’s campaign promises and the pace of reforms, the presidency maintains that significant progress is being made and that efforts to address decades-long challenges in the power sector remain a top priority of the Tinubu administration.