Pressure Mounts On Tinubu To Sack Adelabu As Grid Totters At 2,000MW

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is facing intense pressure to relieve the Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, of his duties following months of persistent grid instability and widespread blackouts that have grounded economic activities across the federation.

The calls for a cabinet shake-up come on the heels of a dismal performance report from the sector, showing that power generation has fluctuated between a meager 2,000MW and 4,000MW over the last four months—a figure grossly inadequate for Nigeria’s population of over 250 million.

Leading the charge for the Minister’s removal, Eze Onyekpere, Lead Director of the Centre for Social Justice, described Adelabu’s tenure as “disappointing” and lacking in innovative solutions.

Onyekpere reminded the President of his campaign covenant with Nigerians to fix the energy crisis, noting that the current reality is a far cry from the promised “Renewed Hope.”

“The Minister is a failure. He has no agenda for the power sector. He should either resign or be sacked,” Onyekpere told Daily Post. “He’s got no ideas, no innovation.”

However, the debate over who is to blame has divided energy experts. Professor Emeritus of Petroleum Economics, Wumi Iledare, argued that the crisis is a “governance failure” rather than an issue of ministerial competence.

According to Iledare, the foundation of Nigeria’s power privatization was flawed from the onset.

“The privatization of the power sector was based on creating millionaires, not businessmen,” Iledare stated. He warned that if the government does not return to a proper regional market framework, the oil and gas sector might soon face a similar collapse.

In response to the outcry, President Tinubu, while speaking at the All Progressives Congress (APC) convention, hinted at a major structural overhaul. He pointed to the creation of the Grid Asset Management Company (GAMCO) as the silver bullet for the sector’s financial woes.

“Many of you are lamenting the problem of electricity; we are paying attention to it. The GAMCO will inject 150,000 MW into the electricity corridors,” the President assured party faithfuls.

While the government pushes policy proposals, the practical reality remains grim. Generation Companies (Gencos) have pointed to a mounting debt profile exceeding N4 trillion, which has hampered their ability to secure gas supply.

As of March 29, 2026, the total electricity distributed to the eleven Discos stood at a lowly 2,855MW, leaving millions of households in darkness and forcing businesses to rely on expensive alternative energy sources.

With the deadline for political appointees to resign for elective offices already creating vacancies in the cabinet, stakeholders are watching to see if President Tinubu will use the opportunity to bring “fresh blood” into the Ministry of Power or stick with the embattled Adelabu.