Tension gripped the Osun Regional Office of the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company in Osogbo, the state capital, on Wednesday, as residents staged a protest over what they described as persistent poor electricity supply.

The protesters converged on Oke Baale and marched through the Station Road area before assembling and proceeding to the IBEDC office located off Station Road.

The presence of heavily armed security operatives deployed to guard the facility heightened anxiety, as demonstrators chanted solidarity songs and demanded improved power supply to their communities.

The residents issued a seven-day ultimatum to the distribution company to restore the affected communities to Band A classification, warning that failure to comply would compel them to take “lawful and collective actions, including reconsidering the operational access of the IBEDC personnel within these communities.”

Presenting a letter of complaint to the IBEDC Osun Regional Head, Ifeanyi Ikeji, a protest leader, Akeem Badmus, said the march was organised under the aegis of the United Communities.

He explained that during a meeting held on February 28, 2026, representatives from Owo-Eba, Garage Ilesa, Tara, Oke-Baale axis, OSBC area, UNIOSUN area, Air Force Base, Army Depot, Boredun, Coker, Odu, Omu and other affected areas expressed deep concerns over what they termed an epileptic power supply.

Reading from a letter signed by Sulaiman Buruji (Chairman, United Communities), Atoyebi Akeem, Adebayo Oladepo and Oseni Abidemi, Badmus said residents had suffered grossly inadequate electricity supply since their reclassification from Bands A and B to Band C.

“Contrary to the provisions of the Electricity Distribution Service Reflective Tariff framework, which stipulates a minimum of 12 to 16 hours of electricity supply daily for Band C customers, our communities barely receive an average of four hours per day. In some instances, entire days pass without any electricity supply,” he said.

The letter also referenced circulating allegations that electricity allocated to the communities was being diverted and sold to the highest bidder.

“While we cannot independently verify these claims, the persistent and unexplained deprivation of supply has fuelled widespread suspicion and dissatisfaction among residents,” Badmus added.

He said the situation had taken a toll on households and businesses, with small-scale enterprises on the brink of collapse. He cited the Osun State Broadcasting Corporation as reportedly transmitting for less than six hours daily due to inadequate power supply.

Responding, Ikeji explained that the affected communities were downgraded from Band A because IBEDC could not consistently meet the minimum supply hours required under that classification.

“As of today, the cost of electricity is close to N128. I would prefer to sell to you under Band A because we are in business. But moving customers to Band A does not depend solely on the IBEDC. The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission is the body that approves such reclassification,” he said.

He added that Band A customers are expected to receive up to 20 hours of electricity daily, a benchmark the company was unable to sustain for the affected areas.

“When we placed you on Band A, and we were not meeting the required hours, I felt it was unjust to keep you on that band. That was what led to the downgrade. I am sorry if you were not aware of what led to it,” Ikeji said.

On the demand to revert to Band A, he noted, “It is my desire to return you to Band A, but the current power constraints will not allow it. Immediately the situation improves, you will be moved back.”

The protesters, however, insisted that the company must address their grievances within the stipulated seven days.

(Punch)

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