Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate Peter Obi has come under renewed scrutiny after an interview clip showed him declining to explain how he would deliver an additional 10,000 megawatts of electricity if elected president.
In the interview with Oseni Rufai, Obi reiterated his campaign promise to significantly increase Nigeria’s electricity generation, transmission and distribution capacity within four years.
In the interview, Obi stated that his administration would generate, transmit and distribute at least 10,000 megawatts of electricity. However, when pressed on the specifics of how the target would be achieved, he declined to provide details.
“How are you going to do that?” the interviewer asked.
“No, no, no, I’m not going to tell you how. It is not for you to know how,” Obi responded.
The exchange has reignited debate over the level of policy transparency expected from political candidates seeking Nigeria’s highest office.
Critics argued that Nigerian politics has long been characterized by broad campaign promises with limited scrutiny of implementation strategies. They noted that voters have historically placed less emphasis on detailed policy plans than on political messaging and personality.
Some observers also compared Obi’s remarks to campaign statements made by President Bola Tinubu during the 2023 election cycle, when he pledged to improve electricity supply and suggested that voters should hold him accountable if he failed to deliver.
Electricity remains one of Nigeria’s most pressing economic challenges, with businesses and households continuing to rely heavily on self-generated power due to persistent shortcomings in the national grid.
