The Labour Party (LP) Presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, has backed the Bola Tinubu-led government’s recent increase of the electricity tariff.
Obi spoke on Sunday after visiting Bauchi and Gombe states’, saying he supports increasing electricity tariff for the rich consumers who can afford it, and subsidizing it for the low income earners.
Within the past week, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC announced an approval of a tariff increase for Band A customers, and it was met with condemnation.
Reacting to the development, the LP flagbearer, who described the policy adjustment as the best, said that was the solution to Nigeria’s electricity challenges.
He also reiterated his position about the need to adopt a consumption to production polic framework to lift people out of poverty.
Obi said; “The solution is very simple (referring to electricity tariff hike), you can increase the tariff for those in areas where they can afford it.
“We must do a lot in power generation because it has taken so long. But we have to take into consideration that the majority of Nigerians are suffering.
“So we need to support people in those areas to be able to live and be able to produce something. When they start to produce something, we are pushing them out of poverty, and that’s where my theory of moving from consumption to production comes in”.
