APC Campaign Council Declares Atiku Unfit for Presidency over Mambilla Scandal

The All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council has described African Democratic Congress candidate, Atiku Abubakar, as unfit for the presidency over allegations arising from the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project dispute.

The council made the claim in a statement signed by its spokesman, Dele Alake, on Friday. It followed the International Chamber of Commerce tribunal’s ruling in favour of Nigeria in the long-running arbitration involving Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited.

The three-member ICC tribunal in Paris rejected Sunrise Power’s claims against Nigeria over the proposed 3,960-megawatt Mambilla project in Taraba State. It also ordered Sunrise and its promoter, Leno Adesanya, to reimburse Nigeria for 75 per cent of its legal costs.

However, the ruling has triggered a fresh political dispute over a $500,000 payment made in January 2003 to Jennifer Douglas, Atiku’s then-wife.

The tribunal examined evidence that Adesanya transferred the money through China Castle Investments Limited, an offshore company he controlled. Adesanya told the tribunal that the payment formed part of a foreign-exchange transaction conducted for Atiku.

The tribunal, however, said Adesanya failed to provide documentary or witness evidence supporting his explanation for the payment. It consequently described aspects of the transaction as raising significant red flags.

The APC Campaign Council seized on the disclosure to accuse Atiku of compromising Nigeria’s interests for personal gain.

It alleged that Atiku and former Minister of Power, Olu Agunloye, worked together to facilitate the Sunrise contract despite objections associated with former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the Federal Executive Council.

The council also alleged that the payment to Douglas occurred shortly before Sunrise received the build-operate-transfer contract for the Mambilla project.

Alake said the development raised serious questions about Atiku’s role in the controversial contract. He therefore urged the former vice-president to withdraw from the 2027 presidential contest.

The council also criticised Atiku for not appearing as a witness during the arbitration. It contrasted this with the appearances of former presidents Obasanjo and Muhammadu Buhari, who testified in the case in support of Nigeria’s position.

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

It argued that the latest disclosures from the arbitration strengthened its case against Atiku’s presidential bid.

But Atiku has rejected the APC’s interpretation of the tribunal’s findings.

In a response through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku challenged the APC to identify any part of the final award where the tribunal found him guilty of receiving a bribe or influencing the Mambilla contract.

He argued that the tribunal’s examination of the $500,000 transfer did not amount to a corruption verdict against him. Atiku also maintained that he was not a party to the arbitration and was not convicted of any offence by the tribunal.

The dispute comes as Atiku seeks the presidency on the platform of the ADC ahead of the 2027 election.

The Mambilla project itself has remained stalled for years despite its planned capacity of 3,960 megawatts and its potential significance to Nigeria’s electricity supply.

With the ICC tribunal rejecting Sunrise’s claims against Nigeria, the Federal Government has described the outcome as a major legal development for the long-delayed project.

For the APC Campaign Council, however, the arbitration has opened a fresh political line of attack against Atiku, centred on the disputed payment and his alleged role in the Mambilla contract.