APC Campaign Accuses Atiku of Conflict of Interest Over $500,000 Mambilla Payment
The All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council has accused the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, of compromising Nigeria’s interests over events surrounding the disputed 2003 contract for the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project in Taraba State.
The allegations followed the recent ruling by an International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) arbitration tribunal in Paris, which rejected claims by Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited against Nigeria over the long-running Mambilla project dispute. The tribunal also examined a $500,000 payment made in January 2003 by Sunrise promoter Leno Adesanya to Jennifer Douglas, then the wife of Atiku, who was Vice-President at the time.
In a statement on Friday, September 18, 2026, APC Presidential Campaign Council spokesman Dele Alake alleged that the payment was connected to the subsequent award of the Mambilla contract and accused Atiku of acting against the country’s interests.
The campaign council cited the tribunal’s examination of the timing of the payment, which was made on January 30, 2003, several months before Sunrise was purportedly awarded a build-operate-transfer contract for the project.
However, reports on the tribunal proceedings indicate that Atiku was not a party to the arbitration and did not testify before the tribunal. The tribunal examined the payment as part of Nigeria’s allegations concerning corruption surrounding the disputed contract.
According to the APC statement, the disputed contract was signed in the final months of former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s first term, despite reservations concerning the project at the Federal Executive Council.
The party also alleged that the controversy exposed Nigeria to substantial financial claims, with Sunrise pursuing claims running into billions of dollars over the Mambilla project.
The ICC tribunal has now rejected Sunrise’s claims and ordered the company and Adesanya to reimburse Nigeria about $11.82 million, representing 75 per cent of the country’s legal fees and expenses in the arbitration. The tribunal also rejected a separate $400 million claim linked to a 2020 settlement agreement.
Alake further criticised Atiku for not appearing as a witness in the arbitration, contrasting this with former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and the late Muhammadu Buhari, who testified in support of Nigeria’s position.
He also cited statements attributed to Obasanjo in his book My Watch, in which the former President criticised Atiku’s conduct during their time in government.
The APC campaign council called on Atiku to withdraw from the 2027 presidential race, alleging that the Mambilla controversy raised serious questions about his record and commitment to Nigeria’s interests.
The council also urged residents of Taraba State to consider the implications of the long-running dispute for the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project, which has a planned capacity of 3,960 megawatts.
The latest ICC ruling has removed a major legal obstacle surrounding the project, with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu describing the decision as clearing the “single biggest legal hurdle” that had stalled the Mambilla project for years.
APC Campaign Accuses Atiku of Conflict of Interest Over $500,000 Mambilla Payment