APC Campaign Council Accuses Atiku Over Mambilla ICC Arbitration Findings

The All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council has criticised African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar following findings contained in an International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) arbitration award concerning the long-running dispute over the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project.

In a statement issued on Friday, September 18, 2026, APC Presidential Campaign Council spokesman Dele Alake accused the former vice-president of compromising Nigeria’s interests and called on him to withdraw from the 2027 presidential race.

The statement followed the recent ICC arbitration ruling in Paris, which rejected claims brought by Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited against Nigeria over disputes connected to the 3,960-megawatt Mambilla project in Taraba State.

The tribunal rejected Sunrise’s major claims and ordered the company and its promoter, Leno Adesanya, to reimburse Nigeria approximately $11.82 million in legal costs.

$500,000 Payment Examined

A major issue highlighted in reporting on the tribunal’s final award was a $500,000 payment made in January 2003 to Jennifer Douglas, Atiku’s then-wife.

According to reports based on the tribunal’s award, Adesanya acknowledged transferring the money through China Castle Investments Limited into Douglas’s Citibank account in the United States.

Adesanya reportedly maintained that the payment was part of a foreign-exchange transaction undertaken for Atiku. However, the tribunal did not accept that explanation, citing the absence of contemporaneous documentary or witness evidence supporting it.

The tribunal also examined the timing of the payment in relation to the disputed Mambilla contract.

However, reports on the award make an important distinction: the tribunal did not find that Atiku personally received a bribe. The APC’s broader allegations against the former vice-president therefore remain political allegations and should not be presented as a judicial finding of personal corruption.

APC Calls on Atiku to Quit Presidential Race

Reacting to the development, the APC Campaign Council described the arbitration findings as evidence of what it characterised as Atiku’s alleged involvement in actions that placed Nigeria at financial risk.

Alake called on the ADC presidential candidate to withdraw from the 2027 presidential contest, arguing that the revelations surrounding the Mambilla project raised questions about his suitability for the presidency.

The APC statement also linked the Mambilla controversy to former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s past criticisms of Atiku contained in his memoir, My Watch.

The party further accused Atiku of being among those responsible for the delay in the Mambilla project and argued that the stalled project had deprived Taraba State and Nigeria of potential economic benefits.

Nigeria Wins Arbitration Battle

The political controversy comes after what the Federal Government described as a major legal victory for Nigeria.

The ICC tribunal in Paris rejected Sunrise Power’s claims, including a multibillion-dollar claim relating to the Mambilla project, and ordered the company and Adesanya to bear a substantial portion of Nigeria’s legal expenses.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu described the ruling as a major breakthrough, saying it removed what he considered a significant legal obstacle to the long-delayed Mambilla project.

The latest development is likely to become part of the political debate ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with the APC using the arbitration findings to challenge Atiku’s record and the ADC expected to respond to the allegations.