Former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi has sharply criticized President Bola Tinubu over repeated national grid failures, reminding him of his 2022 campaign pledge to deliver steady electricity or forfeit a second term in office.

In a statement posted on his X account on Wednesday, Obi referenced Tinubu’s campaign declaration: “If I do not provide steady electricity in my first four years, do not vote for me for a second term.”

The former Anambra State governor noted that the national grid has already collapsed twice in January 2026 alone, with the month not yet over, following approximately 12 collapses recorded throughout 2025.

“This reality sharply contradicts the promise and should worry every patriotic Nigerian,” Obi wrote, describing the recurring system failures as deeply troubling for Africa’s most populous nation.

Obi drew a striking comparison between Nigeria and Turkey, where President Tinubu is currently conducting a state visit. He pointed out that Turkey, with a population of approximately 87 million people—roughly a third of Nigeria’s—generates and distributes over 120,000 megawatts of electricity, while Nigeria struggles with less than five percent of that capacity.

The politician urged the president to prioritize addressing domestic challenges rather than embarking on continuous international trips. “Our appeal is simple: stay at home and confront the nation’s problems,” Obi stated, warning that unchecked governance failures could soon make foreign visits appear insensitive to public suffering.

Obi also criticized what he described as Nigeria’s obsession with electoral politics at the expense of effective governance, calling for unity in demanding accountability from political leaders.

“We should be joining hands to demand accountability and responsible leadership, and to save Nigerians from the indignity and suffering caused by persistent bad governance,” the former governor added.

The statement follows Friday’s grid collapse, which plunged the entire country into darkness when power generation crashed to zero megawatts around midday. The Nigerian Independent System Operator attributed the failure to simultaneous tripping of multiple 330 kilovolt transmission lines and disconnection of several generating units.

This marks the second grid failure in January 2026, following an earlier collapse recorded earlier in the month. The pattern mirrors 2025, when the first grid collapse also occurred in January and was subsequently followed by multiple failures throughout the year.

Nigeria has consistently ranked as the country with the lowest electricity access globally for three consecutive years from 2023 through 2025, leaving nearly 100 million citizens without reliable power supply despite being Africa’s largest economy.

President Tinubu departed for Turkey on Sunday, January 26, for a state visit focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation in energy, defense, trade and investment. The trip has attracted criticism from opposition figures who argue the president should focus on resolving Nigeria’s chronic power crisis before pursuing international engagements.

Obi concluded his statement with his trademark refrain: “A New Nigeria is POssible.”

Prominent Peoples Democratic Party chieftain Balarabe Abiodun Akinwumi has joined the African Democratic Congress-led coalition in Ondo State, marking another significant defection to the opposition alliance ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Akinwumi, a former aide to ex-Governor Olusegun Mimiko on Oil and Gas and unsuccessful aspirant for the Akure South/Akure North Federal Constituency, announced his political realignment alongside other high-profile PDP members who have abandoned the party for the coalition.

The coalition, according to former House of Representatives member Bode Ayorinde who leads the initiative, comprises chieftains from the PDP, Social Democratic Party, Labour Party, ADC and other opposition blocs across Ondo State.

Former governorship candidates Eyitayo Jegede and Agboola Ajayi have also joined the coalition, alongside Senator Nicholas Tofowomo, former PDP chairman Tola Alabere, and ex-party spokesman Kennedy Peretei.

Speaking at a coalition gathering, Ayorinde disclosed that membership had grown from 25 members at the first meeting to over 300 participants, describing the expansion as evidence of the ruling All Progressives Congress’s failures in the state.

“I’m happy that our number is increasing; we must work together. Eyitayo Jegede, Agboola Ajayi are also part of us. It is a state coalition, we are united together,” Ayorinde stated.

Peretei claimed that two local governments in Ondo State have already collapsed their PDP structures for the ADC, declaring that the PDP no longer exists in those areas and has been replaced by the coalition party.

“If you say PDP, you say no. PDP doesn’t exist anymore. It’s ADC that exists. And you see it here,” the former PDP spokesman declared during the event.

Akinwumi, who holds degrees in law from Westminster University and an MBA from the University of Dundee, brings significant political experience to the coalition having served the state government between 2009 and 2011 as a principal aide to Governor Mimiko.

The lawyer had previously been vocal within PDP circles, criticizing opposition governors who defected to the APC and describing such moves as driven by fear and self-preservation rather than political conviction.

However, the ADC coalition in Ondo State faces internal challenges. Former ADC governorship candidate Barrister Myson Nejo has accused Ayorinde’s faction of attempting to hijack the party’s structures and impose loyalists without consulting original party members.

Nejo claimed that Ayorinde unilaterally declared himself State Coordinator during a coalition meeting and announced that the sitting state chairman would be relegated to secretary, sparking resistance from indigenous ADC members.

“We will not tolerate or accept the party being run as a one-man show. The ADC in Ondo State belongs to all genuine members, and its growth must be democratic, inclusive, and people-centred,” Nejo warned.

Despite the internal tensions, coalition leaders have expressed confidence about dislodging the APC from power in the 2027 elections, though critics have dismissed the alliance as a gathering of politicians who have consistently failed at the polls.

The Grassroots Movement for Tinubu in Ondo State described the coalition as “shadow-chasers” lacking the political strength and credibility to challenge President Bola Tinubu’s re-election or unseat the APC in the state.

The coalition’s announcement comes as opposition parties across Nigeria explore various merger options and realignment strategies aimed at presenting a united front against the ruling party ahead of the next general elections.

Peoples Democratic Party chieftain Segun Sowunmi has dismissed claims that the All Progressives Congress is coercing opposition politicians into defecting, describing such arguments as intellectually lazy and politically convenient.

The former spokesman to ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar made this assertion in an article titled “Democracy Is Not an Entitlement: A Response to the Alarmism Ahead of 2027,” published on X on Tuesday.

Sowunmi was responding to concerns that Nigeria’s democracy faces existential threats following a wave of high-profile defections to the ruling party, including Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s recent departure from the New Nigeria People’s Party.

The PDP stalwart argued that democracy should not be evaluated based on how comfortable or successful political actors feel, but rather on whether citizens retain the fundamental power to choose their leaders through periodic elections.

“By any serious standard, democracy is measured not by how comfortable political actors feel but by whether citizens retain the power to choose their leaders,” Sowunmi wrote.

He added that warnings about Nigeria drifting toward a democracy without genuine competition were rooted in a fundamental misreading of democratic principles and the country’s actual political reality.

Sowunmi emphasized that ruling parties bear no constitutional or moral obligation to ensure the survival or competitiveness of opposition parties, stating that political relevance must be earned through superior organization, messaging and service delivery.

“Democracy does not impose a duty on a ruling party to preserve its opponents. Parties earn competitiveness; they are not entitled to it,” the PDP chieftain declared.

The statement represents a departure from typical opposition rhetoric, which often attributes mass defections to intimidation, financial inducements or deliberate strategies to undermine multi-party democracy.

Sowunmi’s position aligns with his earlier comments dismissing concerns raised by the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria, who warned in December 2025 that the country was drifting toward single-party dominance.

The PDP chieftain had told Punch that there was no agenda to transform Nigeria into a one-party state, adding that President Bola Tinubu would never pursue such a destructive path given his democratic credentials and political history.

“There is no agenda anywhere that can make this country a one-party state. And I know that the president can never be dreaming such a dream,” Sowunmi stated during that interview.

Despite defending the democratic legitimacy of defections, Sowunmi has maintained his commitment to the PDP while acknowledging the party faces significant internal challenges that must be addressed before the 2027 elections.

In multiple interviews, he has expressed confidence that the PDP possesses sufficient grassroots support and institutional memory to remain competitive, describing the party as a 27-year political asset that cannot be easily dismissed.

However, Sowunmi has also been candid about the possibility of leaving the PDP if the party’s internal crises persist, stating in June 2025 that he would have no hesitation joining the APC if convinced it served the national interest.

“If I am going to support Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu for president in 2027, by God and everything that is in me, I’ll leave and join his party,” he declared during an appearance on Arise Television.

The political strategist’s nuanced position reflects the complex calculations facing opposition figures as Nigeria approaches the 2027 general elections, with many weighing loyalty to struggling parties against the pragmatic benefits of alignment with the ruling administration.