Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 elections, has expressed deep concern over the persistent collapse of Nigeria’s national power grid, highlighting the widespread impact of power failures across the country. Obi emphasized that power outages know no ethnic or religious boundaries, affecting all Nigerians regardless of their background.
The national grid collapsed once again on Tuesday, plunging the entire nation into darkness. According to the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), the collapse occurred at around 1:52 pm, following a series of line and generator trippings. This marks the second such incident in just three weeks, adding to growing concerns about the state of the country’s power infrastructure.
Reacting to the power crisis, Peter Obi took to social media on Wednesday, lamenting the regularity with which the national grid fails. He pointed out that these outages have become “now regular news,” underscoring the urgency of addressing Nigeria’s failing electricity sector.
“Just a few days ago, on the 25th of October, South Africa, which was the second-largest economy in Africa behind Nigeria until recently, with a quarter of our population, celebrated seven months of uninterrupted power supply,” Obi said in a statement. “South Africa generates and distributes about 40,000 MW of electricity, while Nigeria struggles to generate and distribute just 10% of that. Yet, despite this stark disparity, Nigerians continue to endure daily power outages.”
Obi used the comparison with South Africa to highlight the severe power deficit Nigeria faces. South Africa, a country with only a fraction of Nigeria’s population, has managed to provide its citizens with a steady supply of electricity for months, while Nigeria’s grid continues to collapse repeatedly.
The former Anambra State governor further raised concerns about the divisive nature of discussions around the power crisis in Nigeria, stressing that the failure of the national grid affects all citizens equally, irrespective of their tribe or religion.
“And when I ask the question: is there any tribe in Nigeria that enjoys uninterrupted power supply like South Africa? I am labelled a tribal bigot,” Obi continued. “When I ask if any religion enjoys special privileges in this crisis, I am called a religious bigot. But I will continue to speak the truth about our situation today.”
Obi’s statement aimed to shift the focus from divisive tribal and religious issues to the broader, shared challenge of poor infrastructure and governance. He stressed that the key to resolving Nigeria’s ongoing power woes lies not in catering to tribal or religious sentiments, but in “visionary leadership and a shared commitment to progress.”
“The fact remains that we are all suffering equally from this failure. The solution lies not in tribal or religious affiliations but in visionary leadership and a shared commitment to progress,” Obi asserted. “We must set aside these primordial sentiments and elect leaders who are competent, capable, and have the vision to transform our nation from a consumer-driven economy to a productive one by investing our meagre resources in critical areas of development like health and education, lifting our people out of poverty, and ensuring increased electricity production and distribution.”
Obi’s call for action resonated with many Nigerians who are frustrated by the ongoing power crisis and the lack of effective leadership to address it. The Labour Party candidate’s emphasis on unity and competent leadership echoes his broader message of national transformation through strategic investments in key sectors like infrastructure, education, and healthcare.
As the power crisis continues to unfold, many are calling for a long-term solution to Nigeria’s energy deficit, with a growing demand for leadership that prioritizes sustainable development and the welfare of the citizens.