Isaac Samuel
The All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council has accused the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, of compromising Nigeria’s national interest over the controversial contract for the 3,960-megawatt Mambila Hydroelectric Power Project in Taraba State.
The council alleged that a $500,000 payment made to Atiku’s then-wife, Jennifer Douglas, was connected to the subsequent award of the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) contract for the project to Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Ltd.
The allegation was contained in a statement on Friday by the spokesman of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Dele Alake, who said proceedings before an arbitration tribunal of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in Paris had brought renewed attention to the circumstances surrounding the contract.
According to the council, Atiku, who was Vice-President under former President Olusegun Obasanjo, and former Minister of Power, Olu Agunloye, worked together to approve the contract despite objections raised by Obasanjo and the Federal Executive Council.
It alleged that the contract was signed in the final months of Obasanjo’s first term, when Atiku wielded considerable influence in the administration.
The council alleged that Leno Adesanya, linked to Sunrise Power, transferred $500,000 through an offshore company, China Castle Investment, to Douglas’ Citibank account in the United States on January 30, 2003.
It said the transaction and other transfers allegedly involving Atiku had featured in a United States Senate investigation into foreign corruption.
The APC campaign council cited the tribunal’s observation concerning the timing of the payment and the subsequent award of the Mambila contract
It quoted the tribunal as stating: “There is a close connection in time between the moment the USD 500,000 payment was made to the wife of Vice-President Abubakar on 30 January 2003 and the alleged award of the BOT contract to Sunrise on 22 May 2003.”
The council also alleged that the Mambila dispute had exposed Nigeria to substantial financial claims.
It said Sunrise and Adesanya had demanded $680 million as settlement and interest in one arbitration proceeding, while another arbitration involving disputes over the development of the Mambila project was seeking more than $2.7 billion in compensation and interest.
Alake compared the case with the Process and Industrial Developments (P&ID) dispute, which involved an $11 billion claim against Nigeria over a failed gas project.
The council accused Atiku of facilitating the award of the Mambila contract to a company it claimed lacked experience in hydropower generation, describing the alleged payment as evidence of a conflict between personal interest and the national interest.
It also criticised Atiku for not appearing before the Paris tribunal to give evidence concerning the dispute, saying former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Muhammadu Buhari had travelled to Paris to defend Nigeria’s position.
The council further cited allegations made by Obasanjo about Atiku in his memoir, My Watch, including claims concerning his former deputy’s transparency, judgment and commitment to the national interest.
The APC campaign council subsequently called on Atiku to withdraw from the 2027 presidential race, arguing that the allegations surrounding the Mambila project raised questions about his suitability for the presidency.
It also urged people of Taraba State to take note of the controversy, saying the stalled Mambila project could have provided substantial electricity generation capacity and generated economic benefits for the state and Nigeria.
