The Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP),the Coalition of National Civil Society Organisations (CNCSOs) and the Coalition of Concerned Progressives ( COCOP), have differed on calls for the the immediate resignation of Nigeria’s Minister of Power, Adelabu Adebayo on account of the lingering power crisis in the country.
The statement, signed by Comrade James Ezema, Deputy National Publicity Secretary of CNPP, and Alhaji Ali Abacha, the National Secretary of CNCSOs, accused the Minister of incompetence, lacking capacity to address Nigeria’s chronic electricity crisis.
The statement highlighted the dire state of Nigeria’s power sector, noting that over 40% of Nigerians remain without access to electricity, while the rest rely on a national grid that delivers a meager and unreliable supply of 2,000MW to 4,000MW daily—a situation unchanged since the 1980s.
“This failure has perpetuated a cycle of economic stagnation, job losses, and the closure of small and medium-sized enterprises, which are the backbone of Nigeria’s economy,” the statement read.
The coalition expressed grave concern that Nigeria continues to lag behind other African nations in electrification, despite its abundant human and natural resources.
The CNPP and CNCSOs also faulted the Minister Adelabu for failing to leverage the Nigerian Electricity Act of 2023, which decentralizes electricity provision and encourages public-private collaboration.
“His inability to market these opportunities to attract local and international investors has exacerbated the nation’s power crisis and undermined the potential for economic recovery,” the statement added.
The coalition cited a recent report by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), which revealed three incidents of total grid collapse and two incidents of partial collapse in the fourth quarter of 2024.
Despite these failures, Nigerians paid a staggering N509.84 billion to electricity distribution companies during the same period—an increase from the N466.69 billion spent in the third quarter of 2024.
The coalition emphasized that these alarming statistics, coupled with 12 grid collapses recorded throughout 2024, demonstrate the Minister’s inability to address systemic issues in the power sector.
“His continued tenure is untenable,” the statement declared, urging President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to redeploy Minister Adelabu to a ministry aligned with his competencies within seven days.
The coalition questioned the Minister’s qualifications, pointing out that his expertise lies in financial services, hospitality, entertainment, agriculture, and real estate—not the power sector.
“His appointment appears to be a case of political patronage rather than merit, and his performance has validated our concerns,” the statement said.
The CNPP and CNCSOs called on President Tinubu to act decisively in the interest of the Nigerian people.
They added:“The power sector is too critical to be left in the hands of individuals who lack the requisite expertise and vision. Minister Adelabu must resign or be redeployed immediately to prevent further damage to Nigeria’s economy and the well-being of its citizens.”
But,the Coalition of Concerned Progressives ( COCOP), condemned the call for the removal of Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu describing the call as misguided, uncalled for and mischievous.
COCOP said the group was only seeking relevance while ignoring the giant strides in the power sector since Chief Adebayo Adelabu took over in August 2023.
A statement signed by John Okwaji, National Coordinator and Richard Ibeh, Secretary of COCOP, said efforts to downplay the progress made in the power sector based on financial inducement and political differences are doomed for failure as it lacks conviction.
The statement said: “The attention of the Coalition of Concerned Progressives ( COCOP) has been drawn to recent calls by the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) and the Coalition of National Civil Society Organizations (CNCSOs) demanding the removal of the Hon Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu.
“While we respect the right of individuals and groups to express their opinions, we categorically state that such calls are misguided, premature, and fail to acknowledge the significant progress being made in Nigeria’s power sector under the Minister of Power and Chief Adebayo Adelabu’s leadership.
“Not only that, it is clear that those making the call have either not been following developments in the power sector since the Minister assumed duty or are only being mischievous. We are aware that the political season is here and we understand what is happening. We know these groups parading themselves as concerned citizens are merely concerned about filthy lucre, having been induced by their puppet masters while ignoring the several years of neglect and rots in the sector that Minister Adelabu met on ground.
“For the avoidance of doubt, since his appointment, Chief Adelabu has demonstrated unwavering commitment to reforming and revitalizing Nigeria’s power sector, achieving measurable milestones that lay a solid foundation for sustainable energy growth. Contrary to the claims of stagnation, the following key achievements under Chief Adelabu stand as testament to his dedication and effectiveness.
“Through proactive measures, including improved grid management and infrastructure upgrades, the frequency of national grid collapses has significantly reduced compared to previous years. We are aware that the Ministry has intensified efforts to modernize transmission infrastructure to ensure reliable power supply nationwide.
“Within the period of Chief Adelabu stewardship, the pilot stage of the Siemens deal had reached an advance stage of 95 percent completion as at December 2024 with the installation of 10 mobile substations and 10 power transformers.
“With the completion of the pilot stage, the first phase of the Siemens deal will soon commence. We all know that the Siemens deal was initially signed in 2019 but due to financial, regulatory constraints and Covid 19, nothing was achieved until 2023 when President Bola Tinubu signed an accelerated agreement to fast-track the project which is expected to strengthen the transmission infrastructure and ultimately reduce instances of grid collapse. Adelabu has diligently followed up on this and the results are obvious to all and sundry.
“When Chief Adelabu was appointed as Minister of Power, electricity generation had always peaked at an average of 4000 megawatts, despite the brilliant Nigerians that had held sway as Ministers of Power. However, under Chief Adelabu and with the support of President Tinubu, Nigeria was able to achieve a historic record of 6003 megawatts of available generation while a historic generation evacuation of 5801.84 megawatts and a daily maximum energy output of 128,370.75 megawatt-hours (MWh) were achieved in the same period. All these were achieved in less than two years.
“Also under the leadership of Chief Adelabu, the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) has expanded access to electricity in underserved communities through solar mini-grids and stand alone systems. The Ministry is also driving Nigeria’s transition to renewable energy, aligning with global best practices and the provisions of the Electricity Act 2023.
“In order to ensure reduction in estimated billings and improve liquidity in the sector, the FG government through the Ministry of Power has embarked on mass metering project. The Presidential Metering Initiative (PMI) is expected to close the over seven million metering gap with the provision of two million Meters per year for the next five years. Households and businesses will soon start benefiting from proper metering, thereby reducing arbitrary billing and improving transparency in the power sector.
“The Ministry has championed critical policy reforms, including the implementation of cost-reflective tariffs to attract private investment and ensure sector sustainability. These reforms are essential for long-term growth and have already begun to yield positive results.
Unlike previous administrations, Minister Adelabu has fostered an inclusive approach, engaging with labour unions, distribution companies (DisCos), generation companies (GenCos), gas companies (GASCOs) and consumers to address challenges and implement lasting solutions.
“We are also aware that the Ministry has successfully attracted new investments from private and foreign development partners into the power sector, facilitating partnerships that will drive infrastructure development, improve generation capacity, and create jobs for Nigerians.
“While we recognize that challenges persist—many of which are systemic and inherited—the call for the Minister’s removal disregards the foundational reforms being implemented to ensure lasting solutions. The Federal Government remains resolute in its commitment to delivering stable and affordable electricity to all Nigerians, and Minister Adelabu’s strategic approach is central to this vision.
“We urge the CNPP and CNCSOs to engage constructively with the Ministry, rather than resorting to unfounded calls for removal. The focus should remain on collaborative efforts to build a power sector that meets the needs of all Nigerians.
“We urge the Honourable Minister to remain undeterred in his mission to transform Nigeria’s power sector and calls on all stakeholders to support these efforts for the collective benefit of the nation”.
