Demola Olarenwaju, a key political aide to Atiku Abubakar, proposed on Tuesday that the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) be dissolved. He noted that former leaders Musa Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan previously considered similar actions. Olarenwaju argued that the current administration under President Bola Tinubu should stop overseeing rural power initiatives, as he believes energy management belongs under the authority of individual states.
Writing on the social media platform X, Olarenwaju claimed the agency’s founding legislation is flawed. He referenced the past Oronsaye report, which suggested a comprehensive review of federal structures. He questioned the federal government’s involvement in electricity, asserting that if states are truly empowered to manage their own power generation and distribution, then a federal body bypassing state control is redundant. This critique emerged shortly after President Tinubu appointed former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose to lead the REA as part of a broader set of 25 government appointments.
