AFTER denting the Detty December in nearly all parts of Nigeria, Minister of Power, Mr Adebayo Adelabu, has assured Nigerians of reliable, accessible and sustainable electricity supply in 2026.

The assurance, contained in a New Year message issued on Friday in Abuja by his Special Adviser on Strategic Communications and Media Relations, Mr Bolaji Tunji, said the government’s  focus “remains unshakable: to deliver reliable, accessible and sustainable electricity to power our homes, industries and dreams.”

He said collaboration with electricity distribution companies (DisCos) would be intensified to improve service delivery and ensure metering initiatives reached every community.

He noted that continuity and renewed vigour would characterise actions, stressing that  efforts to enhance grid stability and expand transmission infrastructure would intensify in the new year.

“Our Light Up Nigeria initiative remains a priority, focusing on industrial clusters and agricultural hubs to stimulate economic growth and job creation,” he said.

The minister explained that there would be prioritisation of renewable energy development, with solar and hydropower deployed to serve underserved communities.

He described 2025 as a year of focused groundwork and deliberate progress in the power sector despite prevailing challenges.

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According to Mr Adelabu, progress was recorded in strengthening the national grid and improving overall stability in 2025, stressing that the Presidential Power Initiative, known as the Siemens deal, had helped to curb frequent grid collapses experienced in previous years.

“As Phase One of the PPI continues, we assure Nigerians of a strengthened grid that will make disturbances a thing of the past,” he said.

The minister thanked Nigerians for their resilience and support, stressing that these virtues remained critical to building a robust energy future.

“The journey ahead requires a united front,” Mr Adelabu said, urging governments, communities, the private sector and citizens to partner in reforms.

He urged Nigerians to protect power infrastructure and adopt energy-efficient practices, which, he said, were vital national contributions.

“To my kinsmen and women in Oyo State, your unwavering support continues to fuel my dedication at the national level,” he said.

Oyo State ambition

Minister Adelabu recently petitioned the State Security Service (SSS), accusing a prophet, Primate Elijah Ayodele, of attempting to extort N150 million from him for ‘spiritual intercession’ to make him governor of Oyo State.

Mr Adelabu alleged that Primate Ayodele had asked him to bring 24 APC flags for prayers, including 1,000 pieces of saxophones/trumpets, fairly used Nigerian-grade costing a total of N50 million, and the imported grade-one from China costing N130 million.

The minister said his refusal to bring the items had prompted the cleric to prophesy that he would not become the Oyo State governor. However, Primate Ayodele denied ever trying to extort the minister of N150 million, saying that he never asked him to send money but to get the trumpets.

Primate Ayodele said, “I didn’t ask Bayo Adelabu to bring money for prayers. I told him to ask someone from his end to go to the market and find out how much the said trumpet cost, while someone follows them from my end too. His personal assistant, himself, and the person he sent to me put me under so much pressure because he was desperate for governorship.

“He was the one who sent someone to me to talk to me on his behalf. He went as far as saying he was willing to give anything to become the next governor of Oyo State, and the only thing I told him was to get the trumpets for his own good.

“I told him that they won’t want to give him the governorship ticket, but if he wants it so bad, he should seek the mercy of God by buying the musical instruments for God, not even for my church, but he said he can’t do it. That’s all.”

The prophet continued, “I have been talking about how he won’t be made governor of Oyo State for years. This is why he called me to seek solutions. I have never spoken to him before till he sent people to me and personally requested my spiritual help, noting he was not making the prophecy for pecuniary reasons.

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“I don’t make prophecies to make money. I am blessed already, and my subsequent prophecies after our discussion about his ambition aren’t because he failed to buy the musical instrument. It can never be,” the primate had noted.

A Christmas in darkness

Nigerians went through their worst Christmas festivity this year, with power supply nearly unavailable across the nation, owing to the repair work carried out by the Nigerian Gas Processing and Transportation Company (NGPTC).

The NGPTC had assured last week that the repair work was nearly completed, promising that power supply would improve across the country. The promise, however, wasn’t kept.

“Repair works by the Nigerian Gas Processing and Transportation Company (NGPTC) are nearing completion, and the affected pipeline is expected to be restored soon,” the Nigeria National Grid confirmed on its X handle on Wednesday.

“This restoration will enable gas-fired power plants to resume normal operations, leading to improved electricity supply across the country.”

Mr Adelabu’s promise of quick resolution of the power situation didn’t also happen.