APC Campaign Council accuses Atiku of compromising Nigeria’s interests over Mambilla dispute

The All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council has described the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, as “unfit for Nigeria’s presidency” over issues arising from the long-running dispute surrounding the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project.

The campaign council made the claim in a statement signed by its spokesman, Dele Alake, on Friday, following an International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) arbitration tribunal’s decision in favour of Nigeria in the dispute involving Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited.

The tribunal rejected claims brought by Sunrise in connection with the Mambilla project, including a $680 million demand and another claim exceeding $2.7 billion.

The APC campaign council’s statement centred on a $500,000 payment made by Sunrise promoter, Leno Adesanya, to Jennifer Douglas, Atiku’s then-wife, in January 2003.

According to the council, the payment was connected to the award of the Mambilla contract and raised questions about Atiku’s involvement in the process.

“Abubakar’s legendary corruption reverberated in Paris at the International Arbitration Tribunal under the auspices of the International Chamber of Commerce,” the statement said.

The council alleged that Atiku and former Minister of Power, Olu Agunloye, “worked in cahoots” to secure the contract for Sunrise despite objections from former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the Federal Executive Council.

It also alleged that the payment to Douglas was made through China Castle Investment, described by the council as an offshore company controlled by Adesanya.

However, accounts of the arbitration proceedings indicate that Adesanya gave a different explanation for the transaction. He told the tribunal that the $500,000 payment was part of a foreign-exchange transaction carried out for Atiku. The tribunal examined the timing and circumstances surrounding the payment during the proceedings.

The APC campaign council nevertheless characterised the payment as a bribe and accused Atiku of compromising Nigeria’s interests.

“By collecting a $500,000 bribe from Leno Adesanya to approve a Build-Operate-Transfer contract to a company with no scintilla of experience in hydro power generation, Atiku has proven he is one of the enablers of local and international predatory and exploitative entities out to defraud our country,” the council alleged.

The campaign council also criticised Atiku over his absence from the arbitration proceedings, contrasting it with the appearances of former Presidents Obasanjo and Muhammadu Buhari as witnesses for Nigeria. The State House had confirmed that both former presidents testified during the arbitration.

The APC further referred to criticisms of Atiku contained in Obasanjo’s memoir, My Watch, including allegations relating to corruption, disloyalty and transparency.

Based on its interpretation of the issues surrounding the Mambilla project, the campaign council called on Atiku to withdraw from the 2027 presidential contest.

The council argued that the controversy demonstrated why Atiku was “unfit for Nigeria’s presidency.”

The Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project, which has been the subject of prolonged political, contractual and legal disputes, is expected to generate thousands of megawatts of electricity in Taraba State.

The latest ICC arbitration ruling, however, rejected Sunrise’s claims against Nigeria, marking a significant development in the long-running dispute over the project.