The Arewa Youth Movement (AYM) has dismissed calls for the removal of the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Engr. Sule Ahmed Abdulaziz, describing the demand as unfounded, misleading, and politically motivated.
In a statement signed by its Public Relations Officer, Pamgzam Ezekiel Pomwok, the group was reacting to a publication in which the Visionary Leaders Forum of Nigeria (VLFN) reportedly urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to sack the TCN boss over what it described as the slow pace of progress in Nigeria’s power transmission sector.
The Arewa Youth Movement argued that the allegations against Abdulaziz failed to acknowledge significant achievements recorded by the Transmission Company of Nigeria under his leadership.
According to the group, TCN has made measurable progress in improving grid stability through system upgrades, strengthened maintenance practices, and the reduction of grid disturbances.
It also cited the completion and energisation of several 330kV and 132kV substations and transmission lines across the country, saying the projects have expanded Nigeria’s electricity transmission capacity.
The statement further noted that TCN has successfully managed several donor-funded projects supported by international development partners, including the World Bank, the French Development Agency (AFD), and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
The group explained that delays affecting some transmission projects were largely due to factors beyond the control of the TCN management, including right-of-way challenges, insecurity, and foreign exchange constraints.
On the call for Abdulaziz’s removal, the Arewa Youth Movement maintained that replacing the TCN chief at a time when major power sector reforms are underway would be counterproductive.
It described Abdulaziz as an experienced engineer with more than three decades in the power sector, adding that continuity in leadership is essential for the successful implementation of ongoing projects, including the Siemens Power Project and other transmission expansion initiatives.
The group also questioned the timing and motive behind the call for his removal, alleging that it lacked empirical evidence and failed to identify specific project failures attributable to the TCN management.
According to the statement, the performance of the electricity transmission sector depends on several interconnected factors, including funding, security, gas supply, electricity generation, and distribution, making it inaccurate to attribute every challenge solely to the Managing Director.
The Arewa Youth Movement therefore urged stakeholders to engage the Transmission Company of Nigeria through constructive dialogue backed by verifiable facts rather than media campaigns.
It called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to disregard the demand for Abdulaziz’s removal and continue supporting the current TCN management in achieving the administration’s power sector objectives, including increasing Nigeria’s transmission capacity beyond 10,000 megawatts.
The group added that Nigerians deserve stable electricity and sustained reforms rather than distractions capable of slowing ongoing infrastructure development.
