Oyo ADC Guber Aspirant Aborisade Slams FG’s ₦3.6tr Power Subsidy Plan•••Says Nigerians Paying More For Darkness Than Light

Aborisade ADC gubernatorial aspirant in the forthcoming general elections spoke on Sunday while addressing journalists in Ibadan the Capital City of Oyo state, reacting to provisions in the 2026–2028 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper (MTEF-FSP), which propose a first-line deduction of ₦1.2 trillion annually from revenues shared by the three tiers of government to finance electricity subsidies through the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc (NBET).

While the Federal Government maintains that the subsidy arrangement is intended to address mounting debts in the power sector and improve transparency, Aborisade argued that Nigerians have seen no corresponding improvement in electricity supply despite repeated tariff hikes.

“Despite unprecedented increases in electricity tariffs, Nigerians are yet to enjoy uninterrupted power supply. What we have today is arguably the worst electricity situation in Nigeria’s history,” he said.

The Oyo State governorship aspirant for the 2027 election described the frequent collapse of the national grid as a national embarrassment, noting that power outages have become routine rather than exceptional.

“Almost every month, the national grid collapses, plunging the entire country into darkness. Yet the government wants to sacrifice ₦3.6 trillion of public funds to sustain failure,” Aborisade stated.

Under the MTEF proposal, the deductions would be taken from the Federation Account before revenue is shared among the Federal Government, states, and local governments—effectively spreading the burden of electricity subsidies across all tiers of government.

Aborisade warned that the policy would significantly shrink funds available to states and local councils for critical services such as healthcare, education, road construction, and rural development.

“This policy will starve states and local governments of critical resources. It is another big elephant project that delivers hardship instead of hope to the people,” he said.

He also dismissed claims that electricity subsidies are protecting Nigerians from high energy costs, arguing that consumers already pay among the highest tariffs relative to the quality of supply.

“Electricity is cheaper and more reliable in countries like the UK. Here, Nigerians pay outrageous bills and still rely heavily on generators to survive,” he said.

Aborisade reserved particularly strong criticism for the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, accusing him of incompetence and a failure to take responsibility for the sector’s persistent challenges.

“A minister who blames Nigerians for not switching off their refrigerators at night has clearly lost touch with reality. That statement shows a lack of leadership and understanding of the crisis in the power sector,” he said, calling for the minister’s resignation.

Although some power sector experts have defended the subsidy-sharing framework as consistent with the principles of federalism, Aborisade insisted that subsidies without measurable improvement amount to fiscal waste.

“If ₦3.6 trillion will guarantee stable electricity supply and lower tariffs, Nigerians might endure it. But asking citizens to fund failure is completely unacceptable,” he added.