The All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council issued a statement on Friday, signed by spokesman Dele Alake, declaring that African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar is “unfit for Nigeria’s presidency.” The claim follows the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) tribunal’s ruling in favour of Nigeria in the long‑running dispute over the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project.
The ICC tribunal rejected Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited’s claims against Nigeria, dismissing a $680 million demand and a separate claim exceeding $2.7 billion. In its decision, the tribunal examined a $500,000 payment made in January 2003 by Sunrise promoter Leno Adesanya to Jennifer Douglas, Atiku’s then‑wife, as part of a foreign‑exchange transaction carried out for Atiku.
According to the APC statement, the payment was linked to the award of the Mambilla contract and raised questions about Atiku’s involvement. The council alleged that Atiku and former Minister of Power Olu Agunloye “worked in cahoots” to secure the contract for Sunrise despite objections from then‑President Olusegun Obasanjo and the Federal Executive Council. It also claimed that the $500,000 was routed through China Castle Investment, an offshore company controlled by Adesanya.
“Abubakar’s legendary corruption reverberated in Paris at the International Arbitration Tribunal under the auspices of the International Chamber of Commerce,” the APC statement read.
The council accused Atiku of compromising Nigeria’s interests, arguing that the controversy demonstrates why he should withdraw from the 2027 presidential race. It also cited Obasanjo’s criticism of Atiku in his memoir My Watch and highlighted the prolonged delay of the Mambilla project, which is intended to generate thousands of megawatts of electricity in Taraba State. The ICC tribunal’s ruling ultimately cleared a major legal hurdle surrounding the project, rejecting Sunrise’s claims against Nigeria.
<small>Source: Vanguard News — read the original story there.</small>
