Former presidential candidate Peter Obi has expressed concern over Nigeria’s worsening power situation following another collapse of the national grid, saying the incessant power outages and other numerous challenges bedevilling the country were a pointer that Nigerians must elect competent people into leadership positions.
In a statement on Wednesday via X (formerly Twitter), Obi highlighted the stark contrast between Nigeria’s ongoing struggles and South Africa’s recent energy milestone.
“Again, yesterday the now regular news came that the National Grid had collapsed once again,” Obi remarked. “Just a few days ago, on the 25th of October, South Africa, once the second-largest economy in Africa behind Nigeria, celebrated seven months of uninterrupted power supply despite having a quarter of our population.”
Obi pointed out that South Africa currently generates and distributes around 40,000 MW of electricity, while Nigeria can barely produce and distribute 10% of that figure. He underscored that the energy crisis affects all Nigerians, regardless of region or religion, pushing back against accusations of promoting tribal or religious divisions.
“Is there any tribe in Nigeria that enjoys uninterrupted power supply like South Africa?” he questioned. “I am labelled a tribal bigot. 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 emphasized that the crisis requires collective action and visionary leadership, rather than being overshadowed by ethnic or religious divides.
“The fact remains that we are all suffering equally from this failure,” he asserted. “The solution lies not in tribal or religious affiliations but in visionary leadership and a shared commitment to progress.”
He urged Nigerians to prioritize electing leaders with the capability and vision to transform the country. According to Obi, development must focus on essential sectors such as health, education, and infrastructure to transition Nigeria from a consumer-driven economy to a productive one.
“We must set aside these primordial sentiments and elect leaders who are competent, capable, and have the vision to transform our nation,” he said. “Investing our meagre resources in critical areas of development like health and education will lift our people out of poverty and ensure increased electricity production and distribution.”
The national grid has collapsed 10 times in 2024, with three failures occurring in a single week in October, resulting in widespread blackouts and public outcry.
