Babatunde Fashola, minister of power, works, and housing, says the promises made by the All Progressives Congress (APC) are aspirational, and not necessarily the reality.
Fashola said the Muhammadu Buhari-led APC government has generated 1,000MW of power every year since it took over in 2015.
When asked about the gulf between the promise of 20,000MW and the delivery of 3,000MW, Fashola said the promises are aspirations.
“I think it is time to come down to the reality of the bolts and nuts of governance. It is, in fact, aspirational to say we want to get here,” Fashola said.
“And if we haven’t reached there, it doesn’t mean that we haven’t made a legitimate effort, it also doesn’t mean that progress has not been made.”
The former governor of Lagos state also said Nigerians have to make a choice to go back to the PDP years of “mediocrity” or stay on a course that goes forward with the APC.
“Nigerians have to make a choice; do you want to go back to the ROI rate of 250MW a year or the ROI rate of 1,000MW and that is continuing?
“I think it is important that Nigerians must ask themselves, when last did a political party make them promises that they can remember? When last? Since 1999, they should go back and ask, what were they promised?
“So, I take credit for being a member of a political party that sits down to articulate a programme, and then says to Nigerians; these are our promises to you.
“And I am very happy to sit down here today because when people say they are no issues in politics, I always disagree.
“I have told you that these are aspirations, and I think some credit must be given that Nigerians can remember what we say.”
The minister highlighted the progress being made by the APC government, including infrastructural progress in every state of the federation.
He said the Buhari administration has taken off-grid power generation to universities, markets, and places that hitherto did not have power — or paid too much for too little power.
Fashola said Kebbi state currently enjoys almost 24-hour power supply.
