The All Progressives Congress (APC) has renewed its criticism of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, citing past corruption allegations and financial investigations as reasons it believes he should not return to the presidency in 2027.
In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, the ruling party alleged that Atiku’s public record raises serious questions about transparency and accountability, referencing controversies surrounding the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project, the Siemens bribery investigation, the William Jefferson case and a 2010 US Senate inquiry into suspicious financial transactions.
The APC’s statement followed renewed scrutiny of a $500,000 payment made in January 2003 by Leno Adesanya, promoter of Sunrise Power, to Jennifer Douglas, Atiku’s then-wife, through an offshore company. The payment was examined in an International Chamber of Commerce arbitration concerning the Mambilla project. The tribunal noted concerns about the transaction and said neither Atiku nor Douglas provided evidence in the arbitration supporting the explanation that it was a legitimate foreign-exchange transaction.
The APC also cited the Siemens bribery case. A 2010 US Senate investigation reported that approximately $2.8 million in alleged Siemens bribe payments was routed through a US bank account in the name of the wife of a former Nigerian vice-president. Siemens ultimately agreed to pay more than $1.6 billion in US and German penalties over global bribery violations. The Senate report, however, concerned financial transactions and allegations and did not itself establish criminal liability against Atiku.
On the William Jefferson case, US court records show that Jefferson received $100,000 from businesswoman Lori Mody for the purpose of bribing Atiku, who was vice-president at the time. Jefferson was subsequently convicted on corruption-related charges. The court record documents the alleged intended payment to Atiku but does not establish that Atiku accepted the money or committed the alleged offence.
The APC further referred to a 2010 report by the US Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, which examined more than $40 million in funds transferred into the United States by Jennifer Douglas between 2000 and 2008 through offshore corporations. The Senate described the funds as suspicious; subsequent fact-checking has noted that the report did not result in criminal charges against Atiku.
Morka argued that the issues raised by the various investigations should remain part of the public debate ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
The APC also criticised Atiku’s recent position on fuel subsidy, contrasting it with his position during the 2023 election cycle. The party alleged that his current advocacy for restoring the subsidy regime could undermine recent economic reforms, while presenting the issue as part of the broader political contest ahead of 2027.
The statement also cited former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s longstanding criticism of Atiku and his reported remarks in 2026 concerning his decision to select Atiku as running mate in 1999.
The APC concluded by arguing that Atiku’s record should be a central consideration in assessing his renewed presidential bid.
The allegations and political characterisations in the statement represent the position of the APC and remain contested. Atiku has previously denied wrongdoing in relation to the financial controversies, including rejecting claims that the Mambilla arbitration amounted to an indictment or corruption verdict against him.
