By Adeola Badru

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo State has strongly condemned the All Progressives Congress (APC) for commending the Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, regarding the restoration of electricity supply to the University College Hospital (UCH) in Ibadan.

In a statement released following the APC’s announcement on Tuesday, the PDP characterized the APC’s response as politically opportunistic and out of touch with the realities facing the people of Oyo State.

The APC lauded Chief Adelabu’s intervention, describing it as a testament to the Tinubu administration’s commitment to its Renewed Hope agenda.

They highlighted that the minister’s swift action resolved the power disconnection issue caused by the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) due to UCH’s alleged indebtedness.

Furthermore, they thanked President Bola Tinubu for permitting the minister to intervene, claiming the action would restore electricity and improve the hospital’s operations.

In response, Dr. Sulaimon Olanrewaju, Special Adviser on Media to the Oyo State Governor, emphasized that the issues surrounding the power supply at UCH were not the result of negligence by the state government but stemmed from the federal government’s failure to uphold its commitment to subsidize electricity costs for hospitals.

He pointed out that Chief Adelabu publicly declared that the federal government would subsidize electricity in teaching hospitals after categorizing electricity users into bands last August. However, six months later, that promise remains unfulfilled.

Olanrewaju stated, “If the federal government had honoured its commitment to subsidize electricity, would UCH have faced disconnection in the first place?”

He criticized the APC for attempting to shift blame to the state government for problems created by the federal administration.

The PDP also questioned the consistency of Chief Adelabu’s interventions, asking whether he would similarly address issues at other federal institutions across Nigeria, such as the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) or the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital.

Olanrewaju noted, “Is the minister’s role to only intervene in Oyo State while ignoring similar issues elsewhere? Governance requires serious, systemic solutions, not superficial fixes.”

However, Olanrewaju expressed frustration over the APC’s attempts to capitalize on the situation for political gain.

“It is unfortunate that the APC is so shameless that it is thumping its chest on the issue of UCH-IBEDC imbroglio instead of covering its face in shame,” he remarked.

The governor’s aide criticized the party for playing politics with the agony and pains of the people they were elected to serve.

The PDP reaffirmed its commitment to tackling issues head-on rather than merely glossing over them, saying that: “In Oyo State, we don’t paper over the cracks; we go to the roots of issues to get permanent solutions.

Olanrewaju reiterated that the citizens deserved leadership that prioritizes their welfare and addresses the systemic issues affecting their daily lives.