…Vows 10,000MW power supply, and shared presidency
Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has pledged to increase Nigeria’s electricity generation and distribution capacity to at least 10,000 megawatts within four years if elected president in 2027, while also assuring that his running mate, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, would play a full partnership role in his administration rather than serve as a “spare tyre”.
Obi made the declarations on Saturday at the NDC national convention in Abuja, where he was affirmed as the party’s presidential candidate and officially announced Kwankwaso as his vice-presidential nominee.
In his acceptance speech, the former Anambra State governor described Nigeria’s current electricity output as grossly inadequate for a country of over 200 million people, noting that about 100 million Nigerians still lack access to electricity. “Today, Nigeria is the country with the highest number of people without access to electricity in the world. About 100 million Nigerians do not have access to electricity”, Obi said.
He lamented that Nigeria generates and distributes only about 4,000 megawatts of electricity, compared to more than 40,000 megawatts generated by countries such as South Africa and Egypt. “It is unacceptable, and I pledge that within four years, our government will increase power generation and distribution from the current level of about 4,000 megawatts to at least 10,000 megawatts”, he stated.
On governance, Obi promised a departure from the traditional structure in which vice presidents are often relegated to secondary roles, assuring delegates that Kwankwaso would be fully involved in decision-making.
“The government we intend to form will no longer be a government where anybody will say that the vice president is a spare tyre. The vice-president will be a partner because we want to build a nation where there are two equal people who work for the greatness of the country. Decisions will be taken as partners. Everybody will be consulted”, Obi said.
Obi described Kwankwaso as a leader who shares his vision for education, security and inclusive governance, saying their alliance was built on common values and a shared commitment to national development. “He believes in education and security. And we will work together to ensure it happens”, Obi added.
The Obi-Kwankwaso ticket brings together two of the major contenders in the 2023 presidential election. Obi contested on the Labour Party platform, while Kwankwaso flew the flag of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), with both candidates later joining the NDC after leaving the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Obi also reiterated his earlier pledge to serve only a single 4-year term if elected, promising to reduce the cost of governance and eliminate wasteful spending as part of efforts to address Nigeria’s economic and governance challenges.
