Former presidential candidate Peter Obi has urged the federal government to find enduring solutions to Nigeria’s ongoing power crisis.

Obi made the call on his X (formerly Twitter) handle, expressing concern over the latest collapse of the national power grid, which has plunged Nigerians into another round of darkness. Since the beginning of 2024, the national grid has collapsed 10 times, with three of those incidents occurring in October alone.

In his statement, Obi drew a stark comparison between Nigeria’s power challenges and South Africa’s recent achievement of seven months of uninterrupted electricity supply. He highlighted that South Africa, despite having a quarter of Nigeria’s population, now generates and distributes around 40,000 MW of electricity, whereas Nigeria struggles to produce and distribute just 10% of that amount.

Obi wrote, “Once again, the news broke yesterday that the National Grid has collapsed. Just a few days ago, on October 25th, South Africa—once the second-largest economy in Africa, behind Nigeria—celebrated seven months of uninterrupted power supply. South Africa generates about 40,000 MW of electricity, while Nigeria can barely generate 10% of that.”

He continued, “Is there any tribe in Nigeria that enjoys uninterrupted power supply like South Africa? When I ask such questions, I am labelled a tribal bigot. When I question whether any religion enjoys special privileges in this crisis, I am called a religious bigot. But I will continue to speak the truth about our situation today.”

Obi emphasized that the power crisis affects all Nigerians equally, regardless of tribe or religion, and called for a shift in focus from divisive sentiments to the election of leaders capable of driving the country’s development.

“The fact remains that we are all suffering equally from this failure,” he said. “The solution lies not in tribal or religious affiliations, but in visionary leadership and a shared commitment to progress.”

He urged Nigerians to prioritize competent, forward-thinking leaders who can transform the nation by investing in critical sectors such as healthcare, education, and, importantly, electricity production and distribution. Obi stressed the need for a shift from a consumer-driven economy to a more productive one, aiming to lift people out of poverty and ensure long-term development.