By Modupe Gbadeyanka

The Minister of Power, Mr Adebayo Adelabu, has been advised to immediately resign from the position and if he refuses, he should be removed by President Bola Tinubu because he lacks the capacity to address Nigeria’s chronic electricity crisis.

This call was made by the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) and the Coalition of National Civil Society Organisations (CNCSOs), which accused the Minister of incompetence.

In a statement jointly signed by the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of CNPP, Mr James Ezema, and the National Secretary of CNCSOs, Ali Abacha, they described Mr Adelabu as “a typical example of a round peg in a square hole.”

The groups said over 40 per cent of Nigerians remain without access to electricity, while the rest rely on a national grid that delivers a meagre 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 criticized 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.

Adding weight to their argument, 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 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 coalition also took aim at the broader implications of the Tinubu administration’s policies, which they claim have bred poverty and discontent among Nigerians.

“While we acknowledge the President’s intentions to address the nation’s challenges, the incompetence of appointees like Minister Adelabu undermines these efforts and erodes public trust,” the statement argued.

In a resolute conclusion, the CNPP and CNCSOs called on President Tinubu to act decisively in the interest of the Nigerian people.

“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.”

The coalition vowed to continue assessing the performance of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies under President Tinubu’s administration, prioritizing the interests of the suffering masses who yearn for good governance across the country.

By Adedapo Adesanya

Following the lynching of some travelers, the Governor of Edo State, Monday Okpebholo, has ordered the immediate suspension of all illegal vigilante groups operating under whatever guise in the state.

The governor also suspended the Edo State Security Corps Commander, Mr Friday Ibadin.

The victims of the lynching were said to be travelling from Port Harcourt to the northern part of Nigeria and were allegedly killed by a mob in Uromi, Edo State, on Thursday.

According to a statement signed by the Secretary to the Edo State government, Mr Umar Musa Ikhilor, the action of the governor follows information of the General Public that after a review of the preliminary report of the unfortunate incident at Uromi in Esan North East Local Government Area of Edo State on Thursday involving the gruesome killing of some travelers.

“It is to be reiterated that the local vigilante group involved in the gruesome killing of 27th March was operating illegally as it was never profiled or registered with Edo State Security Corps.

“Its actions do not reflect the core values, character and principles of the Okpebholo administration, or the objectives of the corps as enshrined in the Edo State Security Corps Governance Law.

“Investigations into the killings are on-going and fourteen (14) persons have been arrested so far, while there is an intense manhunt for others involved in the gruesome killing by a special team set up by the Inspector General of Police,” the statement said.

The governor reiterated its belief in the constitutionally guaranteed rights of citizens to move freely or engage in lawful business in any part of the country.

The statement added that the government is in touch with families of the victims, community leaders and the Government of Kano State where most of the deceased are reported to hail from.

“We urge all parties involved to remain calm as the State Government remains committed to ensuring that justice is done in a most efficient, transparent and proactive manner,” the statement concluded.

Recall that the President noted that jungle justice has no place in Nigeria, and all Nigerians have the freedom to move freely in any part of the country.

President Tinubu condoled with the families of the affected people and assured them “that criminals would not be allowed to shed the blood of innocent Nigerians in vain”.

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called for the withdrawal of a bill which contains repressive provisions to jail any Nigerian of voting age for six months and/or impose a fine of N100,000 on them if they fail to vote in national and state elections.

The organisation urged the Senate President, Mr Godswill Akpabio, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Tajudeen Abbas, to immediately withdraw the bill, which it tagged oppressive.

SERAP urged Mr Akpabio and Mr Abbas to instead “amend the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] and the Electoral Act 2022 to remove constitutional immunity for state governors and their deputies who commit electoral offences, including vote-buying, to facilitate the investigation and prosecution of perpetrators.”

The group also urged Mr Akpabio and Mr Abbas “to amend the Nigerian Constitution and the Electoral Act to explicitly prohibit the appointment of members of any political party as resident electoral commissioners (RECs) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).”

There is currently in the National Assembly a ‘Bill for an Act to Amend the Electoral Act 2022 to Make It Mandatory for All Nigerians of Majority Age to Vote in All National and State Elections and for Related Matters.’ The bill seeks to make voting compulsory and prescribes a six-month jail term or a fine of N100,000 or both for non-compliance.

In the letter dated 29 March 2025 and signed by SERAP deputy director, Mr Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said: “Jailing eligible Nigerians for deciding not to vote would be entirely inconsistent and incompatible with the letter and spirit of the Nigerian Constitution and the country’s international human rights obligations.”

SERAP said, “Rather than proposing bills that would severely punish Nigerians who may decide not to exercise their right to vote, the National Assembly ought to propose bills to remove constitutional immunity for governors and their deputies who commit electoral offences and undermine the integrity of the electoral process.”

According to the organisation, “The most effective way to solve the perennial voter apathy is to create a safe and conducive environment, combat the impunity of high-ranking politicians who commit electoral offences, and generally improve the electoral process to encourage the citizens to come out to vote, and not to send them to jail.”

The letter, read in part: “Should the National Assembly fails to drop the bill prescribing a six-month jail term for eligible Nigerians who decide not to vote in national and state elections, and should any such bill be assented to by President Bola Tinubu, SERAP would consider appropriate legal action to challenge the legality of any such law and ensure they are never implemented.”

“The idea of compulsory voting and jailing citizens for not voting is impracticable, unnecessary and unlawful. The right to vote is part of citizens’ right to participate in their own government and the choice of whether to exercise it is personal.”

“The right to vote includes the right not to vote. If the right to participation is a right of the citizen, she/he must be free to decide whether or not to exercise it.”

“Because the notion of a democracy exists by virtue of the consent of the citizens, voters must get to choose how they exercise consent, not be forced to the polls like ‘cattle to the slaughter.’”

“The National Assembly ought to propose bills to reduce the influence of money in politics, and encourage and not compel the exercise of the right to participation.”