Alli campaign faults Makinde for blaming diesel-powered streetlights on poor electricity supply
The campaign council said the Electricity Act 2023, signed into law by President Bola Tinubu, empowered states to generate, transmit and distribute electricity to meet their energy needs. The post Alli campaign faults…
The campaign organisation of Senator Sharafadeen Alli, the APC governorship candidate in Oyo State, has criticised Governor Seyi Makinde over the continued use of diesel-powered generators for streetlights. The campaign argues that poor electricity supply from the national grid should not be used as the explanation for a state project and questioned the sustainability and cost of the arrangement.
Alli’s campaign also questioned the outcome of Oyo State’s 11MW independent power project, reportedly awarded to Elektron Energy at about ₦8.5 billion. It argued that the state should use the powers available under the Electricity Act 2023 to develop alternative electricity solutions, including solar power, embedded generation and private-sector investment. These claims are political criticisms by the campaign and are not independent findings.
The Oyo State Government has defended the generators, saying unreliable national-grid electricity made them necessary to keep the streets illuminated and safe. The government also says it is pursuing alternative energy, including a 5MW solar plant being upgraded to 12MW. The dispute therefore centres on whether the continued diesel use is an unavoidable response to wider power-supply problems or evidence that the state should have developed more sustainable alternatives.