Atiku pledges to scrap electricity tariff bands as APC says the power fix is still under way

Electricity has become one of the first big arguments of the 2027 campaign. On Sunday the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, now the African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, issued rival statements on President Bola Tinubu's 2023 promise of steady power.

What Atiku promised

Atiku said he would end the present band system, under which customers pay different rates per unit depending on how many hours of supply their feeder is meant to get. He said he would do it "within the law", working with state governments and regulators. He did not say what would replace the bands, beyond a fairer and more open system.

He accused the APC of "celebrating paperwork while homes and businesses remain in darkness". He noted that many Band A customers pay about ₦209.50 per kWh before VAT.

He also questioned the government's plan to end electricity subsidies from 2027, and the debt bond programme. "Paying old debts is not the same as building new power infrastructure," his statement said. It was released by Phrank Shaibu of the ADC campaign council.

What the APC said

Dele Alake, spokesman for the APC presidential campaign council, said critics quote Tinubu's promise without its qualifier. He said fixing the power sector "remains unfinished" and that the president will present his record during the campaign.

According to Leadership, Alake pointed to:

• the Electricity Act 2023, which lets states run their own electricity markets. Lagos, Enugu, Abia, Ekiti, Oyo, Kaduna and Niger have set up regulators;
• the Presidential Metering Initiative, which he said has metered more than 1.5 million customers in three years;
• a ₦4 trillion bond programme to clear debts owed to power companies, with more than ₦1.2 trillion raised in the first two tranches.

The ADC campaign's spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, replied that estimated billing has not ended and outages continue.

Who decides the bands

The bands were set by the national regulator, NERC. Under the 2023 Act, states with their own regulators can set tariffs inside their borders, which is why Enugu's Band A rate differs from the national one. Any change to the band system, by any government, would have to go through these regulators. Our explainers cover what each band means and how the 2023 Act shifted power to the states.

What it means for you

Nothing changes on your bill because of these statements. Your band and rate stay as they are until NERC or your state regulator decides otherwise.

The bigger question for households is the subsidy. The government says it will start ending it from 2027 without an immediate tariff rise. Expect both campaigns to keep returning to that, and ask any candidate how they would pay for cheaper power.