Promoter of Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited, Leno Adesanya, has rejected attempts to portray him as a political associate of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former National Security Adviser Sambo Dasuki, insisting that his involvement in the long-running Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project dispute was motivated by a desire to see the project completed rather than by political patronage.
Adesanya, in a statement on Monday, said his professional career had brought him into contact with individuals across different political and professional circles, but argued that such relationships should not be interpreted as evidence of political allegiance.
He particularly rejected efforts to associate him politically with Atiku and Dasuki, describing the narrative as an attempt to misrepresent his role and interest in the Mambilla project.
“I am a Yoruba man and more Tinubu than Atiku,” Adesanya said, declaring his support for President Bola Tinubu.
According to him, that support was based not merely on their shared Yoruba background but also on what he described as his longstanding relationship with the President.
Adesanya said he wanted the Tinubu administration to succeed and maintained that he had repeatedly attempted to secure an amicable resolution of the Mambilla dispute in order to allow the power project to proceed.
“I wrote several times, even against the advice of my lawyers, to settle amicably towards the development of the project,” he said.
The Sunrise Power promoter said attempts to link him politically with Atiku and Dasuki were being driven by what he called “mischief-doers and political detractors.”
He maintained that having relationships with individuals on different sides of Nigeria’s political divide should not be converted into a narrative of political allegiance, particularly in relation to the Mambilla project.
“Some of the dates of association have no significant relevance to the Mambilla hydro project,” Adesanya said.
He argued that the focus should instead be on his longstanding business interest in the project and his desire to see it completed.
Adesanya, who began his banking career with Citibank in the 1980s before moving into business, particularly the energy sector, said his overriding concern remained the successful development of the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project.
His statement comes amid renewed scrutiny of Sunrise Power and the history of the project following a recent International Chamber of Commerce arbitration award in Paris involving the company, the Federal Government and Adesanya.
On September 17, an ICC tribunal issued an award in Nigeria’s favour in one of the disputes, rejecting claims brought by Sunrise. According to the Presidency, Sunrise had sought $680 million as a settlement sum and interest connected with another arbitration involving claims exceeding $2.7 billion over the project.
The tribunal also ordered Sunrise and Adesanya to reimburse Nigeria for about $11.8 million in legal costs, according to reports on the award.
President Tinubu subsequently described the ruling as removing what he called the “single biggest legal hurdle” that had paralysed the Mambilla project for years and said the Federal Government remained determined to proceed with the development of the project.
Sunrise Power, however, said following the award that its lawyers were reviewing the decision and considering available lawful options.
“The battle is not over. Our lawyers are currently reviewing the arbitration decision and will advise us on the appropriate next steps,” Adesanya said shortly after the ruling.
Against that background, Adesanya’s latest statement sought to separate the commercial and legal dispute surrounding the project from what he described as attempts to attach political labels to him.
He maintained that his contact with individuals associated with different administrations and political interests was a consequence of his professional and business activities rather than proof that he belonged to a particular political camp.
Adesanya reiterated that he supported Tinubu and wanted the President to succeed, particularly in efforts to finally bring the Mambilla project to fruition.
The Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project in Taraba State has been under consideration for decades and has passed through successive administrations, contractual arrangements, financing proposals and legal disputes.
In August 2017, the Federal Executive Council under then-President Muhammadu Buhari approved a $5.792 billion engineering contract for a 3,050-megawatt version of the project, with a consortium of Chinese companies subsequently signing the agreement with the Federal Government.
The arrangement contemplated financing in which Chinese lenders would provide about 85 per cent of the project cost while Nigeria would provide the remaining 15 per cent as counterpart funding. The project involved dams, powerhouses, transmission lines, access roads and the resettlement of affected communities.
Despite its potential to significantly increase Nigeria’s electricity generation capacity, the project has remained stalled amid financing, contractual and legal disputes.
Adesanya said the latest developments should provide an opportunity for all parties to move beyond the controversies and concentrate on the project’s potential contribution to electricity supply and economic development.
He maintained that completing Mambilla should transcend political differences and competing narratives surrounding the personalities who have been associated with the project over the years.
For Adesanya, his stated interest remains seeing the project built.
He also reiterated that he wanted President Tinubu to succeed in bringing the decades-old power project to completion, notwithstanding the continuing legal issues between Sunrise Power and the Federal Government.
... “I Am More Tinubu Than Atiku” — Sunrise Power Promoter Adesanya Denies Political Ties To Atiku, Dasuki Amid Mambilla Dispute ... TheNigeriaLawyer.