The All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council has accused African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar of being linked to the controversial 2003 contract for the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project, following findings contained in a recent International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) arbitration award.
The council, in a statement issued by its spokesman, Dele Alake, alleged that the former vice-president compromised Nigeria’s interests in connection with the disputed Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) contract awarded to Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
The statement followed the September 17, 2026 decision of an ICC tribunal in Paris, which rejected claims by Sunrise relating to the Mambilla project. The tribunal dismissed claims involving billions of dollars and ordered Sunrise and its promoter, Leno Adesanya, to reimburse Nigeria for 75 per cent of its legal costs, amounting to about $11.82 million.
A key issue examined by the tribunal was a $500,000 payment made by Adesanya through China Castle Investments Limited to Jennifer Douglas, Atiku’s then-wife, on January 30, 2003.
According to the published details of the tribunal award, Adesanya acknowledged making the transfer but maintained that it represented a foreign-exchange transaction carried out for Atiku. The tribunal noted that the explanation was not supported by documentary evidence establishing the underlying naira payment, exchange rate, instructions or commercial purpose of the transaction.
The timing of the payment also featured prominently in the proceedings. The transfer occurred less than four months before Sunrise was purportedly awarded the Mambilla BOT contract.
However, reports on the tribunal’s findings indicate that the tribunal did not make a finding that Atiku personally received a bribe. The allegation that the payment constituted a bribe was advanced by Nigeria in the arbitration, while Adesanya and Sunrise disputed that interpretation.
The APC Campaign Council nevertheless used the development to renew its criticism of Atiku, alleging that he and former Power Minister Olu Agunloye acted outside proper government approval processes in relation to the Mambilla contract.
The council further alleged that the contract was executed despite reservations at the Federal Executive Council and argued that the controversy exposed Nigeria to substantial financial risks.
The Federal Government has separately described the ICC ruling as a major victory, noting that Sunrise had pursued claims of $680 million in one arbitration and more than $2.7 billion in another dispute connected with the 3,960-megawatt Mambilla project. President Bola Tinubu also commended former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Muhammadu Buhari for providing evidence during the proceedings.
The APC council also cited criticisms of Atiku contained in Obasanjo’s memoir, My Watch, while urging the ADC presidential candidate to withdraw from the presidential race.
The council further appealed to residents of Taraba State to consider the long-running controversy surrounding the Mambilla project and its implications for the state’s anticipated economic and power-development benefits.
The Mambilla controversy dates back to 2003 and has generated successive legal and political disputes over the validity of the original contract, subsequent agreements and alleged financial transactions surrounding the project. The latest ICC award has rejected Sunrise’s claims against Nigeria and removed a major legal obstacle surrounding the long-delayed project.
