Tag: Adelabu

…says he is ready for competition

Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has dismissed claims that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is planning to impose him as the All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial candidate in Oyo State for the 2027 election.

Speaking with journalists in Ibadan over the weekend while hosting APC executives, ward chairmen, and party leaders from Ibadan South East Local Government at his Iyaganku residence, Adelabu emphasised that the party will conduct a proper primary election when the time comes.

“The best candidate will emerge through a transparent process. There will be no imposition,” he said.

Adelabu questioned the credibility of the rumour, stating that it was unrealistic to believe the president, who is responsible for the affairs of 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, would be concerned with imposing a governorship candidate in one state.

He stressed his belief in healthy competition, saying, “Whatever is good is not meant for one person alone. Competition brings out the best in people.”

He said, “Im ready to engage in healthy competition that will not lead to hatred and bad blood so that at the end of the day, after the primary elections when winner would have emerge, there will be good platform for reconciliation and other aspirants that lost will not lose everything but there will be way of compensating everybody with nominations and appointments and no one go home without having anything.”

He stated that President Tinubu would never sow discord in any state, as all party aspirants are his political children. 

Read Also: NDLEA takes anti-drug abuse campaign to Lagos streets

He added that even if the President has a personal preference for a particular aspirant, he cannot interfere in the process or come to the state to cast a vote for that individual.

He said, “The best advise President Tinubu will give me is to go back to my state to work and win people to my side which I have stated, and it will be obvious to everybody that whoever eventually got the governorship ticket actually worked for it and I have started the work now.

He described President Tinubu as a true democrat, who believes in the voice of the people and the followership.

He said, “Nobody can do any top down validation or top down imposition of an aspirant as the candidate of the party, that will be the beginning of failure. People want to see that any aspirant that emerge as candidate of the party is voluntarily elected, and that is what I’m preaching, nobody will impose anybody. 

“There wasn’t any imposition in 2019 when I emerged as candidate of the party, I emerged in a kneely contested primarily. I did the most work because my campaign was the most flamboyant and energized one then.

“In 2019 elections, we went to all the 33 local government of the state, we engaged everybody, at the end of the day, we almost have a consensus, some aspirants stepped down for me, those who didn’t stepped down, after discovering at the mid of the primary that the voting was going in my direction came out and stepped down for me, that was how I won overwhelmed with almost 100 percent votes of members of the party.

“I’m used to that, I know what it takes to win primary election in a progressive party, you must work, tell people your plans, programmes, your mandates and manifestos, they must see that you have something in stock to move this state forward, not just for the state alone but also members of the party.

“I know it’s not going to be an easy task, but with my experience in the last two elections, I’m more than up to the task that is at hand.”

Speaking on the outcome of the meeting, Adelabu said the meeting was in continuation of his 2027 gubernatorial ambition, consultation and engagement with the party, to canvassed for their support and informed them of his gubernatorial ambition.

“Today’s meeting is a consultation meeting with all the local government executives, ward chairmen and leaders of our party in Ibadan South East Local government to inform them about my ambition to run for governorship in the next general elections.

“This is my local government and where my family from, so, I needed to carry them along and let them know that our aspiration is being renewed. The meeting was like a family gathering, we reviewed our journey so far from 2019 to 2023.

“I’m glad that the aspiration received 100 percent endorsement of all the stakeholders, they promised their support and to do everything possible to ensure that governorship come back to Ibadan South East Local government by 2027.

“I thanked them for the support and endorsement and to have identified themselves with my aspiration, we are not a new comer in this game, we tried it in 2019, we missed out narrowly, we tried it in 2023 with a minor party, we saw the outcome, 2027 is going to be bigger and more serious and receive mass endorsement across the state and the journey has began.

“From next week, I will begin consultation tour to all the leaders in the seven geopolitical zones of the state.”

In his remark, the Oyo South Senatorial chairman of APC, Alhaji Mojeed Olaoya said members of the party will stand by whoever emerged as the gubernatorial candidate of the party come 2027.

He said there will be total and genuine reconcilation in the party, saying the party has learnt from 2019 and 2023 elections when the party lost to the opposition due to division within the party.

Power Minister Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, has said no energy transition agenda can succeed without a well-structured policy framework, highlighting Nigeria’s recently approved National Integrated Electricity Policy as a blueprint for harmonising power generation, transmission and distribution, including gas-to-power and renewable expansion. 

He reinforced Nigeria’s pivotal role in shaping Africa’s energy future through high-level engagements at the 2025 Africa Energy Forum in Cape Town, South Africa.

The Minister participated in a closed-door Ministerial Roundtable where he shared Nigeria’s strategies for aligning policy, regulation and financing to drive efficiency and unlock investments in critical energy infrastructure.

This was made known in a press statement from the ministry yesterday.

According to the statement, the session brought together public and private sector leaders to accelerate project implementation and harmonise private sector capabilities with national energy priorities. 

Read Also: How Electricity Act 2023 is rewiring the troubled power sector

During a panel discussion on energy transition, Adelabu emphasised Nigeria’s pragmatic approach, stating that while committed to decarbonization, the country’s vast hydrocarbon resources remain vital for economic and energy security – a stance aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s vision.

Adelabu outlined key investment priorities, including grid modernisation to enhance reliability, increased renewable energy integration, and decentralised energy solutions such as mini-grids and solar home systems. “Nigeria is open for business across the entire energy spectrum – from hydrocarbons to clean energy,” Adelabu declared, sending a clear message to global investors. 

The Minister also held strategic bilateral talks with key stakeholders, including South Africa’s Minister of Electricity and Energy, Dr. Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, where both leaders agreed on the need for a stronger African voice in global energy forums like the G20. They explored market reforms, including Nigeria’s privatisation experiences, grid expansion financing through public-private partnerships, and potential collaboration between regional power pools for a more integrated continental grid. 

The Minister also reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to deepening energy ties with the UK in discussions with His Majesty’s Deputy Trade Commissioner for Africa, Ben Ainsley. With the International Finance Corporation, he discussed expanding support for Nigeria’s energy compact covering both on-grid and off-grid electrification. Further engagements with Canada’s Ambassador and Siemens Energy focused on trade opportunities and grid modernisation, respectively. 

Through these engagements, the minister reinforced Nigeria’s leadership in driving a resilient, inclusive and sustainable energy future for Africa.

“Our goal is clear – energy access, sustainability and prosperity for Nigeria and the continent,” he stated, concluding a series of impactful discussions at the forum. 

The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has revealed that Nigeria requires an annual investment of $10 billion to address its long-standing power sector challenges, describing the task as monumental but achievable within the next 20 years.

Adelabu made the statement on Tuesday during the commissioning of the Phase 1 – 600kW Solar PV Power Plant at the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) in Kaduna.

He emphasised the importance of sustained funding and long-term commitment to overhaul the nation’s energy infrastructure and achieve stable electricity supply.

According to the minister, “For us to achieve functional reliable and stable electricity in Nigeria we need not less than 10 billion dollars annually for the next ten to twenty years. But there are some foundational bottlenecks that we experienced in the past that need to be fixed for the spending of this money to have meaning.

“Number one is the legislative and policy foundation which this administration has achieved by signing energy bill into an act. This bill has achieved liberation and decentralization of the power sector to enable all levels of government federal State and local government to legally and morally play roles in the power sector to give their citizens at sub national levels. This has given autonomy to more than eleven States and more are still coming. They can now play roles in the power from generation to transmission to distribution and even Metering. 

“Secondly, we talk about infrastructure deficit, then we talk about fixing infrastructure deficit which has piled up over the last 60 years due to lack of maintenance, lack of additional investment to revive our transmission grid”.

The minister also emphasised the need to bridge over 50 percent Metering gap which he said the Presidential initiative aims to achieve through 18 million meter installation in the next five years.

Read Also: Group hits Primate Ayodele over prophecy against Adelabu’s gov ambition

Earlier, while addressing military officers at the NDA, the Minister said, “I stand before you today at this significant occasion, the commissioning of the 600kW and 3MW Solar PV Power Plant here at the prestigious Nigerian Defence Academy.

“These projects, implemented by the Federal Ministry of Power and the Rural Electrification Agency not only underscores our commitment to improving electrification across key institutions in Nigeria but it is also part of our broader mandate to diversify our energy sources, expand access to clean and reliable electricity, and support critical sectors of our national development, including education and security.

“As an institution that combines academic rigour with military excellence, the Nigerian Defence Academy represents a strategic national asset that must be strengthened through sustainable infrastructure. 

“Powering the Academy with renewable energy aligns with our vision for a secure, self-reliant, and energy-efficient Nigeria. It also reflects our commitment to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritizes accelerated national development through universal energy access. 

“Importantly, this project also allows us to reflect on the enduring partnership between the Nigerian power sector and the Nigerian Armed Forces. I wish to specially commend and thank the military for its consistent support in protecting critical power infrastructure across the country. Without your steadfast commitment, our efforts to deliver stable and reliable electricity would be significantly constrained.

“Your role is becoming even more indispensable, given the rising cases of vandalism on critical power assets and attacks on power sector personnel across the country. As part of effort to address this problem, we urge the continued collaboration of the Nigerian Armed Forces in safeguarding the sector’s infrastructure and workforce.

“As we deepen this collaboration, it is essential that our partnership is rooted in mutual respect and understanding. Recent developments, such as the regrettable incident involving military personnel and staff of Ikeja Electric, are unfortunate and counterproductive. Such actions undermine the progress we all seek to achieve and should be avoided. 

“The power sector and the military are not on opposing sides; we are allies in the pursuit of national development. Our shared objective is a Nigeria where sustainable electricity supply supports growth, security, and prosperity for all.

As we commission these power plants today, let it stand not only as a symbol of clean energy advancement but also as a sign of further cooperation between the Nigerian Power Sector and the Nigeria military,” the minister said.

In his welcome address, the NDA Commandant, Major General Abdul Ibrahim expressed appreciation and satisfaction to the initiative in the power sector, and assured synergy with the Ministry of Power.

Minister of  Power Adebayo Adelabu has unveiled an urgent 10-year  rescue plan to revive the manpower shortage in the  electricity sector, mandating the training of not less than 1,200 electrical engineers within the next decade and prioritizing local contractors under a strict “Nigeria First” procurement policy. 

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the management retreat of the Ministry of Power with the theme: ‘Development of Ministerial Performance Management System (MPMS) for 2025’,   in Abuja, Adelabu warned staff that President Bola Tinubu’s administration would not tolerate excuses in delivering stable power to households and businesses, calling the sector’s revival “non-negotiable” for economic survival.  

The Minister’s declaration followed Monday’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) approval of a sweeping roadmap to reverse decades of infrastructure decay in the country, despite the country’s vast energy resources.

 An  executive order that  will compel ministries and agencies to award contracts to local firms and invest in home-grown expertise will soon be rolled out by the President. 

“We cannot keep outsourcing our future,” Adelabu declared, citing a critical shortage of skilled professionals. “In 10 years, we must replace the lost generation of engineers”.

Read Also: Adelabu urges Nigerians to embrace cost-reflective tariff

“Mr. President yesterday touched on the importance of the local content and an Executive Order is being drafted and will soon  be released. It emphasizes the need to look inward in everything we do, particularly in contract awards. We must key into this in our local capacity building, in our resources and personnel. We must be intentional in our local capacity development. There is a dearth of good hands in the sector. Steps must be taken to ensure that this trend is reversed. Within the next 10 years, we must have at least 1,200 electrical engineers trained in the sector, to replace the lost professionals. Let us be honest with ourselves during this retreat so that there will be positive results. Let us be practical and not dwell on theories”, he charged them.

Adelabu acknowledged recent gains in grid stability since January 2025 but demanded faster progress, revealing that all ministry performance will now face quarterly scrutiny by the presidential monitoring unit.