Mambilla Scandal: Atiku ‘unfit for Nigeria’s presidency’ — APC campaign council

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

The APC campaign council made the allegation in a statement signed by its spokesman, Dele Alake, on Friday, following the International Chamber of Commerce, ICC, tribunal’s ruling in favour of Nigeria in the long-running dispute involving Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited.

The tribunal rejected claims by Sunrise over the Mambilla project, including a demand for $680 million and a separate claim exceeding $2.7 billion.

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

According to the campaign council, the payment was connected to the award of the Mambilla contract and raised questions about Atiku’s role 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 then-President Olusegun Obasanjo and the Federal Executive Council.

It also alleged that the $500,000 payment to Douglas was made through China Castle Investment, an offshore company controlled by Adesanya.

However, reporting on the ICC award shows that Adesanya told the tribunal the payment was part of a foreign-exchange transaction carried out for Atiku. The tribunal examined the timing and circumstances of the payment as part of the case.

The APC council nevertheless accused Atiku of compromising Nigeria’s interests and said the controversy demonstrated why he should withdraw from the 2027 presidential race.

“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,” it alleged.

The council further accused Atiku of avoiding testimony before the tribunal, contrasting this with the appearances of former Presidents Obasanjo and Muhammadu Buhari as witnesses for Nigeria. The State House confirmed that both former presidents testified in the arbitration.

The APC also cited Obasanjo’s criticism of Atiku in his memoir, My Watch, including allegations concerning corruption, disloyalty and lack of transparency.

The campaign council called on Atiku to withdraw from the presidential contest, describing the Mambilla controversy as evidence that he was “unfit for Nigeria’s presidency.”

It also linked the dispute to the prolonged delay in the Mambilla project, which is designed to generate thousands of megawatts of electricity in Taraba State.

The ICC tribunal, however, ultimately rejected Sunrise’s claims against Nigeria, clearing a major legal hurdle surrounding the long-running project.