APC PCC Cites Paris Arbitration Proceedings, Questions Atiku’s Presidential Bid

The All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council (APC PCC) on Friday intensified its criticism of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, citing proceedings at the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Arbitration Tribunal in Paris over the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project as grounds to question his suitability for Nigeria’s highest office.

In a statement issued in Abuja by its spokesman, Dele Alake, the APC PCC alleged that revelations made during the arbitration proceedings linked the former Vice President to decisions surrounding the controversial Sunrise Power and Transmission Company contract for the 3,960-megawatt Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project in Taraba State.

According to the campaign council, evidence presented before the tribunal suggested a connection between a $500,000 transfer made in 2003 to Jennifer Douglas, Atiku’s former wife, and the award of the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) contract to Sunrise Power.

The APC PCC claimed that the contract was awarded despite objections allegedly raised within the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo and argued that the development exposed Nigeria to significant financial liabilities arising from international arbitration claims.

Quoting from the tribunal’s findings, the campaign council pointed to what it described as a close temporal connection between the financial transfer and the subsequent award of the contract.

The council further alleged that the disputed contract contributed to legal claims running into billions of dollars against Nigeria over the stalled Mambilla project.

The APC PCC also referenced past comments made by former President Obasanjo in his memoir, My Watch, in which the former Nigerian leader was critical of his erstwhile deputy.

It argued that the latest developments reinforced longstanding concerns about Atiku’s conduct in public office.

The council accused the ADC candidate of failing to appear before the tribunal to testify in support of claims surrounding the transaction and contrasted this with the participation of former Presidents Obasanjo and Muhammadu Buhari, whom it said appeared to defend Nigeria’s interests in the proceedings.

The APC PCC consequently called on Atiku to withdraw from the 2027 presidential race, arguing that the allegations surrounding the Mambilla contract controversy raised serious questions about his fitness for office.

The campaign organisation also urged residents of Taraba State to scrutinise Atiku’s role in the events that led to the prolonged delay in the execution of the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project, which it described as a strategic infrastructure project with significant economic benefits for the stateSanwo-Olu Eulogies Deputy, Hamzat At 62 and the country.