Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential candidate for the 2023 elections, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has disclosed that he has no interest in any generator importing company, as has been widely alleged for decades.
Atiku made the disclosure in the wake of an industrial action by electricity employees which threw all of the country into darkness for 24hrs.
“My aspiration to be President is to protect the interest of the average Nigerian in all circumstances, and on this, I stand to say that I have no interest either directly or indirectly in any generator company, as has been publicly revealed,” the former vice president shared in a tweet.
He also shared his plans for lighting up Nigeria, promising to yank off electricity from the exclusive legislative list.
“Having keenly observed developments in the power sector within the last 24 hours, I am again convinced that my solution to the electricity crisis, as encapsulated in my Policy Document, My Covenant with Nigerians, remains the most proactive plan to lead Nigeria out of darkness.
“In this regard, my approach is to first remove the entire electricity value chain from the exclusive list and give states the power to generate, transmit and distribute electricity for themselves.
“An industrial dispute with the FG in Abuja should not affect an industry in Lagos or a factory in Aba or in Kano or even an average Nigerian who just wants to get home, watch the news and sleep under a ceiling fan,” the presidential candidate added.
He also promised that with him as president, “any investment in additional generation capacity would be competitively procured considering a viable mix of renewable (hydro, solar, wind and biofuels) and non-renewable (coal, gas) options for energy security.”
Nigeria, which is Africa’s most populous nation and largest economy, has battled erratic power supply and frequent outages since independence in 1960.
Efforts by successive administrations to solve the problem have proved futile, amid insinuations that a cabal of rich and powerful Nigerians who import guttural generators, are behind the perennial blackout.
