The All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council has called on African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar to withdraw from the 2027 presidential race, following revelations surrounding the long-running Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project dispute.
In a statement issued on Friday by its spokesman, Dele Alake, the APC campaign council alleged that Atiku compromised Nigeria’s interests in connection with the controversial project and accused him of benefiting from a $500,000 payment made to his then-wife, Jennifer Douglas, in 2003.
The controversy stems from proceedings before an International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) arbitration tribunal in Paris concerning the Mambilla project in Taraba State.
The tribunal ultimately ruled in Nigeria’s favour, rejecting claims brought by Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited and its promoter, Leno Adesanya. The company had pursued claims worth billions of dollars over disputes connected to the project.
According to the tribunal records reported by Nigerian media, Adesanya acknowledged transferring $500,000 to Douglas on January 30, 2003, through China Castle Investments Limited, an offshore company he controlled.
Adesanya told the tribunal that the payment was part of a foreign-exchange transaction carried out for Atiku and was not connected to the Mambilla contract. However, the tribunal reportedly found that he failed to provide documentary or witness evidence supporting that explanation.
The timing of the payment became a major point of discussion because it occurred less than four months before Sunrise was purportedly awarded a build-operate-transfer contract for the Mambilla project.
The APC campaign council used the development to renew its criticism of Atiku, alleging that the payment was connected to the project and accusing him of putting personal interests ahead of the country’s interests.
The council also alleged that Atiku and former Minister of Power and Steel, Olu Agunloye, worked together in the controversial award of the contract, despite objections raised during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
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However, Atiku has rejected the APC’s interpretation of the arbitration proceedings. His spokesperson, Phrank Shaibu, said the tribunal did not find that Atiku received a $500,000 bribe, influenced the Mambilla contract or participated in a corrupt conspiracy.
The APC statement further criticised Atiku for not appearing before the tribunal to testify, contrasting this with former Presidents Obasanjo and Muhammadu Buhari, who appeared during the proceedings as witnesses for Nigeria.
The campaign council also referred to allegations and criticisms previously made against Atiku by Obasanjo in his memoir, My Watch, while urging the former vice-president to reconsider his presidential ambition.
The APC further argued that the prolonged dispute over the Mambilla project had deprived Taraba State and Nigeria of potential economic benefits associated with the development of a major hydroelectric power facility.
The Mambilla dispute has therefore become another point of political confrontation ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with the APC using the tribunal proceedings to question Atiku’s record, while Atiku’s camp maintains that the arbitration did not establish the corruption allegations being levelled against him.
The ICC tribunal’s ruling itself was in favour of Nigeria, with Sunrise and Adesanya ordered to reimburse a substantial portion of Nigeria’s legal costs.