APC tells Atiku to step down from 2027 presidential race

The All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council has asked Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), to withdraw from the 2027 presidential race. This call follows new revelations from an arbitration case at the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in Paris.

The council claimed that the arbitration proceedings raised serious questions about Atiku's role in the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project issue. Dele Alake, the spokesperson for the APC Campaign Council, made this statement on Friday in Abuja.

The arbitration involved Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Ltd., its promoter Leno Adesanya, and the Federal Government over the stalled Mambilla project in Taraba State. The ICC tribunal ultimately rejected the claims made by Sunrise against Nigeria and ordered the company and Mr Adesanya to pay back 75 percent of Nigeria's legal fees and expenses.

The APC council highlighted a payment of $500,000 made by Mr Adesanya to Jennifer Douglas, who was Atiku's then-wife, on January 30, 2003. According to the tribunal records, this payment went through China Castle Investments Ltd., an offshore company that Mr Adesanya controlled, and it was deposited into Ms Douglas' Citibank account in the United States.

The council alleged that this payment was linked to the later award of a build-operate-transfer contract to Sunrise for the Mambilla project. They also claimed that Atiku and former Minister of Power, Olu Agunloye, worked together to push the contract despite objections.

The APC pointed out that this disputed contract was signed in 2003, when Atiku served as vice president under former President Olusegun Obasanjo. They argued that the Federal Executive Council did not authorize the contract, which put Nigeria at risk of heavy financial claims.

The council referenced the tribunal's notes about the timing of the $500,000 payment and the awarded contract. They stated that there was a "close connection in time" between the payment on January 30, 2003, and the contract award on May 22, 2003.

However, the tribunal record also shows that Mr Adesanya characterized the payment as part of a foreign-exchange transaction for Atiku. Reports indicate the tribunal found that this explanation lacked supporting documents, including records of the naira payment or instructions from Atiku or his aides.

The tribunal did not conclude that the former vice president took a bribe, according to their final report. Still, the APC campaign council viewed the findings as proof that Atiku compromised Nigeria's interests for personal benefit.

Mr Alake said the council’s position was backed by the financial outcome of the arbitration and the long delay in the Mambilla project. He alleged that the disputed contract led to claims against Nigeria totaling hundreds of millions of dollars, plus a separate claim over $2.7 billion.

The APC Campaign spokesperson compared the Mambilla case to the Process and Industrial Developments (P&ID) dispute, which involved a multi-billion-dollar claim against Nigeria over a gas project. Mr Alake also criticized Atiku for not testifying at the arbitration tribunal, while former Presidents Obasanjo and Muhammadu Buhari gave evidence in Nigeria’s defense.

He mentioned the criticisms of Atiku in Obasanjo's book, My Watch, especially regarding accusations of corruption and the national interest. The APC campaign council urged Atiku to step down from the presidential race, stating the revelations need closer examination.

They also blamed the ADC candidate for the delays surrounding the Mambilla project and its economic benefits to Taraba State. The council emphasized that if the project moves forward, it could create significant economic opportunities for both the state and Nigeria.

Atiku has previously denied any wrongdoing regarding corruption claims linked to the payment and other related issues.