The Digest:
Former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi has criticised President Bola Tinubu over plans to disconnect the Presidential Villa from the national grid and switch entirely to solar power, describing it as "gross neglect" of ordinary Nigerians. In an X post, Obi recalled Tinubu's campaign promise to stabilise electricity within four years, noting that 32 months into his tenure, the grid performs "abysmally" while the government allocates billions to power Aso Rock independently. Obi referenced N10 billion in the 2025 budget and additional funds in 2026 for the solar project. He argued: "If those in authority disconnect themselves from the system, who then will connect the ordinary Nigerian to reliable power? You cannot tell the people to fast while feasting yourself, securing yourself while Nigerians remain unsecured."
Key Points:
- The Aso Rock solar project symbolises the disconnect between government comfort and citizen suffering.
- It fuels public perception that leaders prioritise their own convenience over solving national problems.
- Taxpayers fund presidential luxury while enduring grid collapse, deepening resentment.
- This signals the political risk of visible inequality in access to basic amenities.
- The timing, amid persistent grid failures, amplifies the contrast.
Sources: Daily Trust, Peter Obi/X
