Peter Obi Knocks Tinubu Over Repeated National Grid Collapses

By Abah Margaret

Former presidential candidate Peter Obi has taken a swipe at President Bola Tinubu over the persistent collapse of Nigeria’s national electricity grid, saying the situation flies in the face of the President’s 2022 campaign promise on power supply.

In a statement posted on his official X (formerly Twitter) account on Wednesday, Obi lamented that the national grid has already collapsed twice in January 2026, even before the month runs out. He added that the grid reportedly failed about 12 times in 2025.

Obi recalled Tinubu’s campaign pledge, quoting him as saying: “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 collapsed twice, and the month is not even over,” Obi said. “This reality sharply contradicts the promise and should worry every patriotic Nigerian.”

The former Anambra State governor also criticised Tinubu’s ongoing foreign trip to Turkey, noting that the country, with a population of about 87 million, generates and distributes over 120,000 megawatts of electricity—far above Nigeria’s output.

He pointed out that Nigeria struggles to generate less than five per cent of Turkey’s power capacity despite having a much larger population.

“Our appeal is simple: stay at home and confront the nation’s problems,” Obi said. “At this rate, we may soon hear of trips to Palau or Vanuatu while critical issues remain unattended at home.”

Obi further urged Nigerians to prioritise accountability and responsible governance rather than focusing solely on the next election cycle.

Spatula News reports that the national grid collapsed again on Tuesday, marking the second system failure in four days this January. The collapse reportedly led to a sharp drop in power generation, triggering widespread blackouts across the country.