In a spectacle befitting a nation where irony is never in short supply, the Presidential Villa in Abuja, home to the country’s highest office, has been thrown into darkness following the theft of electricity cables supplying power to the area.

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) confirmed on Friday that vandals had made off with 40 meters of 1x500mm² XLPE conductors from a 132kV underground transmission line near Millennium Park, just a stone’s throw from the very heart of Nigeria’s power structure. The affected line supplies electricity to the 132kV Central Area transmission substation, which distributes power to central parts of Abuja, including the Presidential Villa.

TCN’s General Manager, Ndidi Mba, noted that the brazen act disrupted power in Maitama, Wuse, Jabi, Lifecamp, Asokoro, Utako, Mabushi, and portions of the Villa itself. The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, also chimed in with a statement decrying the rising tide of cable thefts but offered little consolation to those left fumbling for their flashlights.

The Presidential Villa, often hailed as the seat of power, now finds itself quite literally powerless—an ironic twist in a country where symbolism often outweighs substance. One would think that securing the nation’s corridors of influence might extend to safeguarding the cables keeping the lights on. But alas, even Aso Rock is not immune to the scourge of infrastructure vandalism.

Engineers have reportedly been dispatched to repair the damage, though it remains to be seen whether the response will be as swift as the vandals’ handiwork.

Meanwhile, Abuja residents, including those within earshot of presidential decision-making, are left pondering whether the real blackout is in the cables or the leadership itself.