The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, issued a public apology to Nigerians for the ongoing and severe power outages experienced over the past month. He acknowledged that the blackout has intensified difficulties for households, businesses, schools, and industries, especially under the hot dry-season conditions.

The minister also mentioned that he remains open to political prospects but clarified that his current priority is to resolve the nation’s electricity problems. There has been speculation about his continued tenure amidst rumours of a potential bid for the Oyo State governorship.

The minister, however, said, “What matters to me most now is this job that I am doing as the Honourable Minister of Power.

“I am excelling on the job, and that is my priority for now, tackling foreseen, known and unforeseen challenges in the power sector.”

The minister added, “Resolving the power supply challenges is my priority for now. We have between now and March 31 if I am interested in the governorship contest in Oyo State.

“It is all about service, either at the national level or at the subnational level.”

Speaking further, Adelabu said, “I will not say more than that. Whether I will be here or I will be leaving is a matter of time. I will get back to you.”

Apologising for the erratic power supply, particularly as soaring temperatures across the country have increased electricity demand for cooling, Adelabu said, “I want to apologise to Nigerians, officially now, coming from me as the Minister of Power, for this temporary issue that is leading to hardship being experienced, especially during this dry season, where there is so much heat everywhere.”

He added, “Businesses are being affected, schools have been affected, and industries have been affected. It is not our wish to find ourselves in this situation, but it is due to some factors that are actually beyond our control.”

Despite the present setbacks, the minister reassured Nigerians that relief is coming soon, providing a clear timeline for improvements in supply.

“I can tell you, with the committee that we have set up, and commitments from gas suppliers, and the timeline for repair of the gas pipelines, two weeks from now, we should start seeing improvements in supply. Two weeks,” Adelabu said.