The All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council has called on the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, to withdraw from the 2027 presidential election, citing revelations that emerged from international arbitration proceedings linked to the controversial Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project.

The demand was made in a statement issued on Friday in Abuja by the council’s spokesman, Dele Alake, who argued that details contained in the proceedings before an International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) tribunal in Paris had raised fresh concerns over Atiku’s alleged connection to the long-running dispute surrounding the multibillion-dollar project.

The arbitration case involved Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited, its promoter, Leno Adesanya, and the Federal Government of Nigeria over the stalled Mambilla power project in Taraba State.

The ICC tribunal eventually dismissed Sunrise Power’s claims against Nigeria and ordered the company and its promoter to reimburse the country for 75 per cent of its legal costs and expenses incurred during the proceedings.

At the centre of the controversy is a $500,000 payment reportedly made by Adesanya to Jennifer Douglas, who was married to Atiku at the time, on January 30, 2003.

According to records from the arbitration proceedings, the funds were transferred through China Castle Investments Limited, an offshore company linked to Adesanya, into a Citibank account belonging to Douglas in the United States.

The APC campaign council alleged that the payment was connected to the subsequent award of a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) contract for the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project to Sunrise Power.

The council further claimed that Atiku and former Minister of Power, Olu Agunloye, played roles in facilitating the contract despite objections raised about the transaction.

The disputed agreement was signed in 2003 during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, when Atiku served as Vice-President.

According to the APC, the contract was awarded without the approval of the Federal Executive Council, a development it argued exposed Nigeria to costly legal disputes and financial liabilities.

Alake pointed to observations reportedly made by the tribunal regarding what it described as a close timing between the transfer of the $500,000 payment and the awarding of the Mambilla contract.

The council noted that the payment occurred on January 30, 2003, while the disputed contract was allegedly awarded on May 22 of the same year.

However, tribunal records also indicate that Adesanya maintained the transaction was part of a foreign exchange arrangement conducted on behalf of Atiku.

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Reports on the arbitration award stated that the tribunal found no documentary evidence supporting that explanation, including records of the underlying naira transaction or instructions allegedly issued by Atiku or his representatives.

Despite those observations, the tribunal did not make a finding that Atiku Abubakar received a bribe.

Nevertheless, the APC campaign council argued that the circumstances surrounding the payment and contract award raised serious concerns about the handling of the project and its impact on Nigeria.

Alake said the controversy contributed to years of delays in the Mambilla project and exposed the country to financial claims running into hundreds of millions of dollars, including a separate claim reportedly exceeding $2.7 billion.

The APC spokesman also drew parallels between the Mambilla dispute and the well-known Process and Industrial Developments (P&ID) case, which subjected Nigeria to a multibillion-dollar arbitration battle over a failed gas processing agreement.

He further criticised Atiku for not appearing as a witness during the arbitration proceedings, noting that former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Muhammadu Buhari testified in support of Nigeria’s defence.

Alake additionally referenced criticisms contained in Obasanjo’s memoir, My Watch, where the former president made allegations relating to corruption, transparency and public accountability.

Based on the arbitration revelations and the lingering controversy surrounding the Mambilla project, the APC campaign council said Atiku should withdraw from the 2027 presidential contest and submit himself to further public scrutiny.

The council also accused the former vice-president of contributing to delays that have prevented the project from delivering its expected economic and energy benefits to Taraba State and the nation.

According to the APC, the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project remains one of Nigeria’s most important power infrastructure projects and could significantly boost electricity generation and economic development if completed.

Atiku Abubakar has consistently denied any wrongdoing in relation to corruption allegations connected to the payment and other issues arising from the Mambilla project dispute.