The Presidential Campaign Council of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has called on African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar to withdraw from the 2027 presidential race over fresh controversy surrounding the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project.
The demand followed revelations from proceedings before an International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) arbitration tribunal in Paris involving Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited and the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The long-running dispute centres on the proposed Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project in Taraba State and a Build-Operate-Transfer arrangement involving Sunrise Power.
According to reports on the tribunal proceedings, the APC campaign council drew attention to a $500,000 payment made in January 2003 by Leno Adesanya, promoter of Sunrise Power, to Jennifer Douglas, who was then married to Atiku.
The payment was reportedly made through China Castle Investments Limited into Douglas’ Citibank account in the United States, months before Sunrise was purportedly awarded a contract connected to the Mambilla project.
Dele Alake, spokesperson for the APC Presidential Campaign Council, argued that the timing of the payment raised questions about the circumstances surrounding the project.
The council also alleged that Atiku, who was vice-president at the time, and former Minister of Power and Steel Olu Agunloye worked together to facilitate the contract.
The APC campaign council further criticised Atiku for not appearing before the arbitration tribunal to testify, contrasting this with the participation of former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Muhammadu Buhari in proceedings concerning Nigeria’s defence.
Based on its interpretation of the arbitration proceedings, the council accused Atiku of compromising Nigeria’s interests and urged him to abandon his presidential ambition.
However, Atiku has rejected the allegations, arguing that the ICC tribunal did not indict or convict him over the payment.
In a statement issued through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku challenged the APC to produce the specific portion of the tribunal’s final award where he was found to have received a bribe or instructed anyone to award the Mambilla contract to Sunrise Power.
Atiku also stated that he was not a member of the technical process that evaluated the proposals for the project and denied influencing the award of the contract.
He further disputed the suggestion that the tribunal summoned him to testify, saying he was not a party to the arbitration proceedings.
The ICC tribunal ultimately rejected Sunrise Power’s claims against Nigeria and ordered the company and its promoter to reimburse Nigeria for 75 per cent of its legal costs and expenses.
The Mambilla project has remained the subject of a long-running dispute dating back to the early 2000s, with the arbitration proceedings forming part of the legal battle between Sunrise Power and the Nigerian government.
The latest exchange has added another dimension to the political contest ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with the APC campaign council using the arbitration revelations to question Atiku’s record, while the ADC candidate maintains that the allegations against him go beyond what the tribunal actually established.
The controversy is expected to remain a major talking point as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 elections.
