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| Tinubu/Atiku |
The All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council has raised allegations against the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, in connection with the long-running dispute surrounding the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project in Taraba State.
The development followed a recent ruling by an International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) arbitration tribunal in Paris, which dismissed claims brought by Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Ltd over the project.
The three-member tribunal reportedly rejected Sunrise Power’s claim that Nigeria had breached its contractual obligations under agreements connected to the stalled project. The tribunal also directed Sunrise Power and its promoter to refund Nigeria’s legal costs amounting to $11.8 million.
Reacting to the ruling, Dele Alake, spokesperson for the APC Presidential Campaign Council, alleged that Atiku, who was vice-president at the time, and former Power Minister Olu Agunloye were involved in the signing of a controversial contract with Sunrise Power.
Alake further alleged that a payment of $500,000 made to an account linked to Atiku’s former wife, Jennifer Douglas, was connected to the power project.
According to the APC campaign council, the payment was made in January 2003, several months before Sunrise was awarded a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) contract relating to the project.
The council cited proceedings from the arbitration case, including a finding concerning the timing of the payment and the subsequent contract award, as part of its argument.
The APC also alleged that former President Olusegun Obasanjo had raised objections to negotiations involving Sunrise Power and the Mambilla project during his administration.
The campaign council accused Atiku of disregarding those objections and called on him to withdraw from the 2027 presidential race.
The allegations form part of a broader political dispute over the Mambilla project, which has been the subject of contractual disagreements and international arbitration proceedings for years.
The APC campaign council also linked the dispute to previous legal claims against Nigeria involving large compensation demands, arguing that the country could have faced significant financial liabilities.
However, the allegations contained in the APC statement represent the position of the campaign council. The material provided does not include a response from Atiku Abubakar or the ADC to the latest accusations.
The Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project, located in Taraba State, has remained stalled amid legal and contractual disputes involving the Nigerian government and private parties connected to the project.
(Note) The allegations were made by the APC Presidential Campaign Council and have not been independently established in the material reviewed for this report.