‘My N500,000 electricity bill now N4m, Atiku’ll restore subsidy’ — Amaechi
Amaechi Promises Electricity Subsidy Restoration if Abubakar Elected in 2027
PORT HARCOURT — Rotimi Amaechi, former governor of Rivers State and vice-presidential candidate for the African Democratic Congress (ADC), announced on Thursday that the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, aims to restore electricity subsidies if he is elected in the 2027 elections.
Amaechi made this statement during visits to various wards in the Omuma Local Government Area of Rivers State, where he communicated Abubakar’s campaign messages to local residents.
Criticizing the electricity tariff policies implemented by the administration of President Bola Tinubu, Amaechi argued that the removal of electricity subsidies has led to significantly increased electricity bills. He provided a personal example, stating that his own monthly electricity bill surged from 500,000 Naira to 4 million Naira.
“My house electricity bill was 500,000 Naira; now I pay 4 million Naira. Atiku said if he comes, I will go back to 500,000 Naira. No more Band A and B because the government will subsidize it,” he said.
He further accused the current administration of exacerbating the economic challenges faced by Nigerians through the elimination of petrol subsidies, which he claims has resulted in higher transportation costs and increased prices for food items.
“He (Tinubu) just held a microphone and didn’t care. He just said remove the subsidy. Since he removed the subsidy, transportation has increased, food prices have increased — tomatoes, corn, everything,” Amaechi added.
In his remarks, he also linked rising insecurity to the economic hardships affecting Nigerians, particularly farmers. He noted that insecurity has made it difficult for farmers to access their lands, thereby impacting food production and contributing to higher prices.
“Insecurity also increased. You can’t even go to your farm, and the government doesn’t care. Atiku said he will bring back subsidies. If Atiku brings back subsidies, everything will come down,” he stated.
Nigeria’s electricity tariff structure is currently divided into service bands according to the amount of electricity supplied to customers. Band A customers are expected to receive a minimum of 20 hours of electricity supply daily, while customers in Bands B, C, D, and E receive lower minimum supply levels. This differentiated tariff structure was introduced to incentivize consumers receiving more reliable electricity to pay higher rates.
However, the Federal Government has indicated plans to phase out electricity subsidy payments gradually. Minister of Power Joseph Tegbe mentioned on July 31 that these payments are expected to end by 2027. The government has reportedly spent 3.14 trillion Naira on electricity subsidies from June 2023 to December 2025 to mitigate the impact of rising tariffs on consumers.
