The presidential campaign council of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar of compromising Nigeria’s interests over the stalled Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project in Taraba State.
The council, in a statement issued on Friday and signed by Dele Alake, its spokesman, linked its allegations to proceedings before an International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) arbitration tribunal in Paris over the 3,960-megawatt Mambilla project.
It alleged that Atiku, who served as Vice President under former President Olusegun Obasanjo, and former Power Minister Olu Agunloye were involved in the signing of a contract with Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited.
According to the council, the agreement was signed during the final months of Obasanjo’s first term despite objections and reservations from the former President and the Federal Executive Council.
The APC campaign council also focused on a $500,000 payment made on January 30, 2003, to an account associated with Jennifer Douglas, Atiku’s former wife.
It alleged that the payment was connected to the Mambilla contract and referred to a US Senate investigation into foreign corruption involving the transaction.
The council cited the Paris arbitration 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 campaign council said the dispute surrounding the project exposed Nigeria to substantial financial claims from Sunrise and Leno Adesanya.
It alleged that Sunrise and Adesanya sought hundreds of millions of dollars in settlement and compensation over disputes arising from the development of the Mambilla project.
The council also compared the matter with the long-running dispute involving Process and Industrial Development (P&ID), which had pursued a multibillion-dollar claim against Nigeria over a gas project.
According to the APC campaign council, Atiku also stayed away from the Paris proceedings instead of appearing to give evidence in support of the case involving Sunrise and Adesanya.
It contrasted this with former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Muhammadu Buhari, whom it said travelled to Paris to defend Nigeria’s position in the arbitration proceedings.
The statement further referred to allegations contained in Obasanjo’s book, My Watch, where the former President criticised Atiku over issues including corruption, loyalty, transparency and judgement.
The claims contained in the APC campaign council’s statement are allegations and political criticisms against Atiku and do not, by themselves, constitute a court finding that he committed the alleged offences.
Despite this, the campaign council called on Atiku to withdraw from the 2027 presidential race.
“The APC Campaign calls on Abubakar Atiku to do himself a rare honour by bowing out of the presidential race,” the statement said.
It added that the $500,000 allegation was “just the tip of the iceberg” of what it described as further revelations concerning the former Vice President.
The campaign council also turned its attention to Atiku’s recent position on petrol subsidy and the rising cost of living.
It criticised the ADC candidate for advocating government intervention to reduce petrol prices while linking him to the controversy surrounding the Mambilla project.
Atiku had earlier called on President Bola Tinubu to take immediate steps to reduce the burden of high petrol prices and the wider cost of living.
In his address, Atiku argued that the removal of petrol subsidy had increased transportation, food, production and energy costs for Nigerians.
“When government makes energy expensive, it makes life expensive,” Atiku said.
He also urged Tinubu to reconsider policies that have contributed to rising living costs and offered to provide policy proposals that could help reduce petrol prices.
“Take the credit,” Atiku told the President, arguing that the priority should be providing relief to Nigerians rather than who receives political credit for the policy.
Atiku further said that if elected president in 2027, he would introduce a production subsidy for petroleum products refined in Nigeria and sold to Nigerians.
According to him, the proposed scheme would have a fixed spending limit, require approval from the National Assembly and be subjected to independent audits.