Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has claimed that President Bola Tinubu’s latest electricity reform direction mirrors a decentralised power strategy he proposed more than two decades ago.
Atiku Abubakar has accused the Tinubu administration of only recently embracing a power sector policy that he says he championed over 21 years ago.
In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku argued that the Federal Government’s recent shift towards decentralised electricity generation validates proposals he had consistently advocated since his time as Vice President.
‘It Took Three Years to Discover It’
Atiku said the government’s recent acknowledgement that Nigeria cannot rely solely on large, centralised power plants amounts to a delayed endorsement of his long-standing position.
He criticised the administration for spending nearly three years, in his view, pursuing ineffective policies before embracing reforms he had earlier recommended.
According to him, Nigeria’s electricity future lies in a diversified energy mix involving hydro, gas, solar and other viable energy sources rather than dependence on a single generation model.
References Obasanjo Era
The former Vice President recalled that while serving under former President Olusegun Obasanjo, he declined to chair the Power Sector Reform Committee because he disagreed with its gas-focused policy direction.
He maintained that his position on decentralised electricity generation has remained consistent and also formed part of his presidential campaigns between 2007 and 2023.
Government Yet to Respond
As of the time of filing this report, the Presidency had not publicly responded to Atiku’s latest remarks.
The Tinubu administration has, however, continued to pursue broader electricity sector reforms, including restructuring initiatives and measures aimed at improving generation, transmission and distribution.