“Trust Me, Not the Details”: Peter Obi Defends Refusal to Reveal Power Generation Strategy

‎The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has sparked debate after stating that Nigerians do not need to know the specific details of how he intends to deliver 10,000 megawatts of electricity if elected president, insisting that voters should instead judge him by his track record.
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‎Obi made the remarks during an interview with media personality Rufai Oseni, where he was questioned about his pledge to increase Nigeria’s electricity generation, transmission, and distribution capacity to at least 10,000 megawatts within four years.
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‎Pressed repeatedly to provide a detailed roadmap for achieving the target, the former Anambra State governor declined, arguing that leadership should be assessed based on credibility and past performance rather than the public disclosure of every policy strategy.
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‎“No, no, no, I’m not going to tell you how. It is not for you to know how. It is for you to look at the man who is saying this,” Obi said during the interview.
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‎Reaffirming his commitment to improving Nigeria’s power sector, Obi maintained that he possesses the knowledge and capacity required to deliver on the promise.
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‎“I have said, and I repeat, that in four years we will generate, transmit, and distribute at least 10,000 megawatts of electricity,” he stated.
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‎As Oseni continued to seek specifics on the implementation plan, Obi insisted that voters should focus on whether they trust him to fulfill his promises.
‎“They don’t need to know. They need to believe in me,” he said.
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‎The former governor also criticized successive administrations over what he described as the poor state of Nigeria’s electricity sector. He claimed that no new government-owned power plant had been commissioned since 2015, while noting that countries such as Indonesia, India, and Egypt had significantly expanded their power generation capacity within the same period.
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‎According to Obi, increasing electricity output is achievable with the right leadership and commitment.
‎“It is not rocket science,” he said, adding that he has studied successful models from other countries and understands the steps required to replicate similar progress in Nigeria.
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‎“My commitment is that I will deliver it. I have my name on it,” Obi added.
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