The Forum of Commissioners of Power and Energy in Nigeria has strongly condemned what it described as deliberate and sustained power outages in Enugu State, allegedly orchestrated by the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company PLC through a reduction in electricity supply to the state.

In a statement issued Tuesday, titled “Power Reduction to Enugu State: A Dangerous Precedent of Lawlessness by Enugu Electricity Distribution Company,” FOCPEN Chairman and Cross River State Commissioner for Power and Renewable Energy, Prince Eka Williams, along with Acting Secretary and Commissioner for Rural and Energy Development, Engr. Mohammed Ihiezue Abdulmutalib, accused EEDC of retaliating against a recent regulatory tariff decision.

According to the forum, the EEDC’s actions are in response to a new tariff order issued by the Enugu Electricity Regulatory Commission to its affiliate, MainPower Electricity Distribution Limited, which reduced the Band A electricity tariff from N209/kWh to N160/kWh effective August 1, 2025.

According to the statement, “FOCPEN views this unilateral action by EEDC not merely as a regulatory dispute with the Regulator, but as a declaration of war on the good people of Enugu State by EEDC. FOCPEN wishes to state that EEDC’s reckless action is a grave violation of its license obligations under existing national electricity regulations.

“EEDC’s action is also a clear demonstration of the flawed privatization process that has empowered private investors of DisCos to deprive citizens of essential electricity services with impunity,” the statement added.

The commissioners urged the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to take immediate action by calling the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company to order.

“NERC, as the current regulator of EEDC, must investigate this matter thoroughly and sanction this unacceptable action by EEDC, which FOCPEN believes has no regulatory approval from NERC,” FOCPEN said.

It also stated “NERC must sanction EEDC for its actions. The Commission must prove that it has the teeth to regulate the NESI as the apex regulator and protect consumers from the tyranny of powerful Successor DisCos HoldCos that are currently its licensees.”

The group also appealed to the Minister of Power, Chief Bayo Adelabu, to urgently intervene and compel both NERC and EEDC to reverse the power cuts and restore electricity supply to Enugu State.

“As the chief policy maker for the sector, the Minister must take decisive action to stop the lawlessness by DisCos who can arbitrarily and without consequence deprive citizens of electricity,” FOCPEN noted.

Earlier this week, MainPower Electricity Distribution Limited (MEDL) attributed the power outages in parts of Enugu to reduced supply from EEDC, following a recent tariff review by the Enugu Electricity Regulatory Commission (EERC).

The review, which lowered Band A electricity tariffs from N209/kWh to N160/kWh effective August 1, 2025, has drawn criticism from power generation companies (GenCos). However, FOCPEN reaffirmed its support for the EERC’s decision despite the backlash.

The development comes in the context of broader reforms under the Electricity Act 2023, signed into law by President Bola Tinubu in June 2023, which repealed the Electric Power Sector Reform Act of 2005.