Amaechi: Atiku will restore electricity subsidy if elected in 2027

Amaechi: Atiku will restore electricity subsidy if elected in 2027

Former Rivers State governor and African Democratic Congress (ADC) vice-presidential candidate, Rotimi Amaechi, has said the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, will restore electricity subsidy if elected president in the 2027 presidential election.

Amaechi made the declaration on Thursday during ward visits across Omuma Local Government Area of Rivers State, where he campaigned for the ADC and presented Atiku’s message to residents.

The former governor criticised the electricity tariff policies of the President Bola Tinubu-led administration, arguing that changes in the power sector had increased the financial burden on electricity consumers.

Using his personal electricity bill as an example, Amaechi claimed that his monthly bill had risen from N500,000 to N4 million.

“My house electricity bill was N500,000; now I pay N4 million. Atiku said if he comes, I will go back to N500,000. No more Band A and B because government will subsidise it,” he said. (Vanguard News)

Amaechi said Atiku had promised to reintroduce government support for electricity costs if elected, arguing that such intervention would make power more affordable for households and businesses.

“Atiku said I should tell you people that he will bring back the subsidy. Tinubu removed subsidy for electricity bill. He said Band A, B and C,” Amaechi said.

His comments come amid an ongoing debate over the future of electricity subsidies in Nigeria, with the Federal Government seeking to reduce its financial burden on the power sector.

Nigeria operates a differentiated electricity tariff system in which consumers are placed in service bands according to the number of hours of supply they are expected to receive. Band A customers are expected to receive at least 20 hours of electricity supply per day, while Bands B, C, D and E have progressively lower minimum supply requirements.

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The tariff structure was designed to link the amount consumers pay more closely to the level of electricity service they receive.

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) increased the tariff for Band A customers in April 2024, moving the rate from N66 to N225 per kilowatt-hour. The regulator said the review was intended to reduce the government’s subsidy burden while supporting improvements in electricity supply.

Despite the tariff reforms, the Federal Government has continued to spend significant sums to subsidise electricity.

According to figures contained in the government’s Economic Reform Scorecard, the Federal Government spent N3.14 trillion on electricity subsidies between June 2023 and December 2025 to cushion consumers from the impact of higher electricity tariffs. The subsidy expenditure rose from N177 billion in 2023 to N1.48 trillion in 2024 and stood at N1.47 trillion in 2025. (TheCable)

The government has, however, announced plans to gradually phase out electricity subsidy payments from 2027.

Minister of Power Joseph Tegbe said in July that the government planned to end the subsidy regime from next year as part of efforts to address the financial challenges confronting the power sector.

Tegbe also said the planned phase-out should not be interpreted as an immediate increase in electricity tariffs, stressing that the government was focused on improving supply, expanding metering and making the sector more financially sustainable.

The policy position puts the Federal Government and the opposition ADC on different sides of an increasingly important issue ahead of the 2027 elections.

While the government argues that continued subsidies place a heavy financial burden on public finances and that the power sector needs a more sustainable funding model, Amaechi is campaigning on a promise that an Atiku administration would restore government support for electricity consumers.

Amaechi also attacked the Tinubu administration over the removal of petrol subsidy, blaming the policy for higher transportation costs and rising prices of food and other essential commodities.

“He (Tinubu) just held microphone and didn’t care. He just said remove subsidy. Since he removed subsidy, transportation increased, food prices increased — tomatoes, corn, everything,” he said.

The former governor further linked the country’s insecurity crisis to worsening economic conditions, particularly for farmers.

According to Amaechi, insecurity has made it increasingly difficult for farmers to access their farms, affecting food production and contributing to higher prices.

“Insecurity also increased. You no even fit go farm, and government doesn’t care,” he said.

He then reiterated Atiku’s proposed subsidy policy, saying: “Atiku said he will bring back subsidy. If Atiku brings back subsidy, everything will come down.”

Amaechi’s comments form part of the ADC’s campaign ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with the opposition party positioning economic hardship, electricity costs, fuel prices, food inflation and insecurity as key issues for voters.

The former governor’s claim that his electricity bill increased from N500,000 to N4 million was presented as a personal example of the financial impact he associates with the current tariff regime. The claim has not been independently verified in the reports reviewed.

The broader debate over electricity subsidy is expected to intensify as the government moves towards its planned 2027 phase-out and political parties develop competing proposals for reducing the cost of electricity while ensuring the financial sustainability of the power sector.

For the ADC, Amaechi’s promise that Atiku would restore electricity subsidy provides a direct political response to the Federal Government’s plan, placing electricity tariffs and subsidy policy among the issues likely to dominate the 2027 election campaign.

Amaechi: Atiku will restore electricity subsidy if elected in 2027