The Presidency has accused the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, of avoiding questions about his alleged involvement in a controversial $500,000 payment linked to the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project.
Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, made the accusation in a statement on Friday while reacting to the latest revelations from an International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) arbitration tribunal in Paris concerning the long-running dispute between Sunrise Power and the Federal Government.
Onanuga described Atiku as “Diverter-in-Chief,” alleging that the former vice president was attempting to shift attention away from questions surrounding the $500,000 payment made by Sunrise Power promoter Leno Adesanya to Jennifer Douglas, who was Atiku’s wife at the time.
According to details from the ICC tribunal’s final award, the payment was made on January 30, 2003, through China Castle Investments Limited, an offshore company controlled by Adesanya. The transfer occurred less than four months before Sunrise Power was purportedly awarded a build-operate-transfer contract for the Mambilla project.
The tribunal said Adesanya’s explanation that the payment was part of a legitimate foreign-exchange transaction carried out for Atiku was not supported by documentary or independent witness evidence. It said the circumstances surrounding the payment raised “significant red flags” concerning a possible connection between the payment and the Mambilla contract.
However, the tribunal did not make a finding that Atiku personally received a bribe or used his official position to secure the contract for Sunrise Power. Atiku has subsequently rejected suggestions that the arbitration amounted to a corruption verdict against him.
The Presidency, however, maintained that Atiku should directly address the questions raised by the tribunal rather than focus attention on other political issues.
Onanuga also alleged that Atiku and former Minister of Power and Steel, Olu Agunloye, were involved in the award of the Mambilla contract without the required authorisation from the Federal Executive Council and former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
The controversy centres on a 2003 build-operate-transfer agreement between the Federal Government and Sunrise Power for the development of the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project in Taraba State. The project has subsequently been at the centre of prolonged contractual and arbitration disputes.
The ICC tribunal recently rejected Sunrise Power’s claims against Nigeria and ordered the company and its promoter to reimburse Nigeria for 75 percent of its legal fees and expenses, reportedly amounting to about $11.8 million.
In his statement, Onanuga argued that anyone seeking to lead Nigeria should be prepared to answer questions concerning their public record and integrity.
He further accused Atiku of attempting to divert public attention by criticising the Tinubu administration over issues including fuel subsidies and electricity subsidies.
Atiku, through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, has rejected the allegations and challenged his critics to produce the portion of the ICC tribunal’s award where he was found to have received a bribe, abused his office, influenced the award of the Mambilla contract or participated in a corrupt conspiracy.
The latest development has intensified the political dispute surrounding the Mambilla project, with the Presidency and Atiku’s camp offering sharply different interpretations of the ICC tribunal’s findings.