The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 polls, Peter Obi, has made a swift U-turn on his earlier statement regarding the alleged collapse of Nigeria’s national grid. Obi’s initial reaction, which was posted on X, expressed concern over the grid’s frequent collapses, which he claimed had occurred 12 times in 2024.
“I was alarmed to learn that the national grid had collapsed again, the 12th time in 2024, subjecting Nigerians to untold setback and hardship.
“Despite borrowing over $3.23 billion in the last four years to fix its electricity problems, the recurrent occurrences of grid collapse have continued to mar the nation’s power sector,” Obi said in his initial statement.
However, Obi’s statement was met with criticism from many Nigerians who accused him of not verifying the information before reacting.
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) subsequently clarified that there was no grid collapse, but rather the tripping of the Osogbo-Ihovbor and Benin-Omotosho lines, which affected the Lagos axis.
In a follow-up post on X, Obi retracted his initial statement, saying it was based on reports from reputable media platforms.
“Following my earlier message regarding the alleged collapse of the National Grid, which was based on reports from reputable media platforms, I have since learned that there was no such collapse,” Obi said.
“I appreciate the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) for their prompt clarification on the matter,” Obi added.
“I sincerely hope we will prioritize enhancing our infrastructure in the power sector and remain committed to improving power generation to meet the growing needs of over 200 million Nigerians.”
However, Obi’s statement shows the importance of verifying information before reacting, especially for public figures.
Peter Obi, the Labour Party presidential candidate, has been under fire from critics who accuse him of spreading misinformation and negativity.
“Peter Obi the misinformation champions, always run with negativity. He needs to change his ways.” A social media user, Safety Cabal, expressed this sentiment, stating that Obi needs to change his ways.
