The All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council has described African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar as “unfit for Nigeria’s presidency” following revelations linked to the arbitration dispute over the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project.
The council made the claim in a statement signed by its spokesman, Dele Alake, on Friday, following a ruling by an International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) tribunal in favour of Nigeria in the long-running dispute involving Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited.
The tribunal rejected claims brought by Sunrise over the Mambilla project, including a demand for $680 million and another claim exceeding $2.7 billion.
The APC statement focused on a $500,000 payment allegedly made in January 2003 by Sunrise promoter Leno Adesanya to Jennifer Douglas, who was Atiku’s then-wife. The council said the payment raised questions about Atiku’s involvement in the award of the Mambilla contract.
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 further alleged that the payment to Douglas was made through China Castle Investment, an offshore company controlled by Adesanya.
However, reporting on the ICC proceedings indicates that Adesanya told the tribunal the $500,000 payment was part of a foreign-exchange transaction undertaken for Atiku. The tribunal examined the timing and circumstances surrounding the payment as part of the arbitration.
Despite this, the APC campaign council alleged that the payment amounted to 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 council also accused Atiku of failing to testify before the tribunal, contrasting this with former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Muhammadu Buhari, who appeared as witnesses for Nigeria. The State House confirmed that both former presidents testified during the arbitration.
The APC also referenced allegations made by Obasanjo against Atiku in his memoir, My Watch, including claims relating to corruption, disloyalty and lack of transparency.
The campaign council subsequently called on Atiku to withdraw from the 2027 presidential race, arguing that the Mambilla controversy demonstrated that he was “unfit for Nigeria’s presidency.”
The council further linked the dispute to the prolonged delay in completing the Mambilla project, a major hydroelectric scheme planned for Taraba State and intended to generate thousands of megawatts of electricity.
