Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election, has expressed his concern over the frequent collapse of Nigeria’s national grid, stating that power failures are affecting every Nigerian, regardless of tribe or religion.
On Tuesday, Nigeria was plunged into darkness after another collapse of the already weakened grid, just weeks after a similar incident. According to the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), the blackout occurred around 1:52 pm due to a series of line and generator failures.
Obi took to social media to highlight the recurring nature of the issue, pointing out that, in contrast, South Africa, which has a population one-quarter the size of Nigeria’s, celebrated seven months of uninterrupted power supply, generating and distributing about 40,000 MW of electricity, while Nigeria struggles to generate just 10% of that.
He noted that despite this stark contrast, Nigerians continue to face daily power outages. Obi also pointed out that questions about tribal or religious biases in the crisis are often met with accusations of bigotry, even though all Nigerians suffer equally from the national grid’s failure.
He called for leadership that transcends tribal and religious divides, urging Nigerians to elect competent leaders capable of transforming the country by investing in critical areas such as healthcare, education, and, most importantly, power generation.
Obi’s message underscores the need for visionary leadership and collective progress to address the nation’s energy crisis and improve the living conditions of its citizens.
