Some Nigerians and civil society organisations have called for the resignation of the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, over persistent electricity outages and the worsening power situation across the country.
The aggrieved Nigerians accused the minister of incompetence and failure to provide lasting solutions to the country’s electricity crisis, insisting that urgent reforms and accountability were needed to improve power supply.
Their reactions followed a post by Tegbe on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday, in which he attributed electricity disruptions in some parts of the country to planned maintenance at the Egbin Power Station and gas supply constraints affecting some thermal power plants.
The minister assured Nigerians that electricity supply would improve within 48 to 72 hours, adding that the Federal Government was working with industry operators to address gas supply challenges and repair damaged infrastructure.
“My team and I are working to return the affected generating units to service in phases, with the first units coming back online within the next 48 to 72 hours,” he said.
In a separate update, Tegbe disclosed that the ministry had secured the release of 98 out of 300 containers of transmission equipment that had reportedly been stranded at the ports for nearly 20 years.
According to him, the equipment would support the completion of stalled projects, reduce pressure on overloaded substations and strengthen the national electricity grid.
The development comes amid growing complaints from electricity consumers over reduced supply hours across the country.
The Nigerian Independent System Operator has identified inadequate gas supply and reduced water inflows into hydroelectric reservoirs as major constraints affecting electricity generation.
Available electricity distribution data also showed that the 11 electricity distribution companies received a combined allocation of 2,926 megawatts as of 4:41 p.m. on Thursday.
Rights Groups Question Minister’s Competence
Reacting to the development, the National President of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, Yinka Folarin, described the minister’s explanation as unacceptable.
Folarin said Tegbe had demonstrated a lack of competence and could no longer be trusted to manage the country’s power sector effectively.
He called on the minister to resign, arguing that a more capable individual should be given the opportunity to address the persistent electricity crisis.
“The minister should be honourable to say, ‘Come, I am not competent,’ and give room for a more competent person. Those excuses he has brought forward are not sustainable,” he said.
Folarin added that Tegbe should step aside to allow a more solution-driven individual to take charge of the ministry.
He also criticised the continued billing of electricity consumers despite poor supply, lamenting that residents in some communities were being charged for electricity even after going weeks without power.
He described the practice as unfair and barbaric, urging the Federal Government to intervene and protect consumers.
HURIWA, CISLAC Demand Accountability
The National Coordinator of the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, Emmanuel Onwubiko, also criticised the minister’s handling of the electricity crisis.
Speaking with Sunday PUNCH, Onwubiko described the situation as disappointing and accused Tegbe of making what he called unscientific claims about electricity supply.
He recalled the minister’s earlier assertion that Nigerians were asking the government to introduce load-shedding because of excess electricity supply.
Onwubiko also dismissed the minister’s promise to restore adequate electricity within 72 hours, describing it as another excuse.
He questioned President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to improving electricity supply, recalling his campaign promise to provide 24-hour electricity or risk losing re-election.
The HURIWA coordinator further called for an investigation into the power ministry, accusing anti-corruption agencies, including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, of failing to adequately hold those responsible for alleged financial abuses accountable.
On whether Tegbe should resign, Onwubiko argued that removing the minister alone would not resolve the crisis without appointing a competent replacement.
Similarly, the Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, Auwal Rafsanjani, said Nigerians were justified in demanding accountability for the persistent electricity failures.
Rafsanjani insisted that the minister must take responsibility for the shortcomings recorded under his leadership.
He called for an independent assessment of the minister’s performance against measurable targets, noting that persistent failure to deliver should attract consequences, including removal from office.
However, he maintained that the electricity crisis was rooted in broader structural challenges, including poor planning, corruption, inadequate infrastructure, gas shortages and weak regulation.
He urged the Federal Government to conduct an urgent audit of power sector expenditure, address gas supply constraints, modernise electricity infrastructure and enforce strict performance standards for industry leaders and operators.
Nigerians React to Persistent Power Outages
The minister’s update also generated widespread criticism on social media, with several Nigerians questioning why the government had taken so long to explain the deteriorating electricity situation.
An X user, Oluwafemi Ojo, expressed frustration over the timing of the minister’s announcement, saying Nigerians had endured worsening electricity supply for months.
Another user, Legendarytakes, argued that Tegbe should resign, while Official_dags criticised the minister for allegedly waiting too long before addressing the crisis.
Similarly, an X user identified as Zamba accused the minister of failing to anticipate infrastructure breakdowns and gas supply challenges.
Michael Krusu also described Tegbe as a “minister of darkness”, arguing that he would have resigned if public officials were held accountable in the country.
However, some Nigerians argued that structural reforms, rather than a change of minister alone, were necessary to address the electricity crisis.
Wemimo Oluwalade called for the decentralisation of the national electricity grid and the creation of regional power grids, arguing that the existing arrangement had failed to provide reliable electricity.
Another user, Temiloluwa Awonbiogbon, blamed successive administrations for failing to prioritise electricity supply, saying Nigeria needed a government capable of generating, transmitting and distributing 10,000 megawatts within three to four years as an initial step.
Activist Says Tegbe’s Resignation Will Not Solve Crisis
Meanwhile, the Oyo State Coordinator of the Campaign for Democratic and Workers’ Rights, Abiodun Bamgboye, argued that the minister’s resignation alone would not resolve Nigeria’s electricity crisis.
Bamgboye described Tegbe’s explanations for the persistent outages as lame excuses, particularly the claim of gas shortages during the rainy season.
He questioned why gas supply constraints were being cited when the country was expected to benefit from increased water availability for hydroelectric power generation.
“How can they be claiming a shortage of gas when we are in the rainy season? According to their usual explanations, it is during the dry season, when water levels reduce, that they depend on gas to generate electricity,” he said.
He also criticised the ministry for allegedly failing to notify electricity consumers before the planned maintenance work began.
According to him, maintenance activities should have clearly defined timelines, and Nigerians deserved advance information about disruptions to electricity supply.
Bamgboye further argued that Nigeria’s electricity generation capacity remained grossly inadequate for a population of more than 200 million people.
He noted that the country was still struggling to distribute less than 10,000 megawatts, underscoring the scale of the infrastructure and policy challenges confronting the power sector.
The growing criticism has renewed calls for transparency, accountability and comprehensive reforms to address Nigeria’s longstanding electricity crisis.
