A policy analysis group has called into question the moral standing of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 presidential elections, following ethics concerns raised in a recent international arbitration ruling over the long-disputed Mambilla Hydropower Project.
The Independent Media and Policy Initiative (IMPI) urged Atiku to address ethical questions highlighted by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) tribunal in Paris, rather than relying on “an escapist resort to legalese.”The fallout comes after the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), called on Atiku—a leading opposition figure—to withdraw from the 2027 presidential race over findings related to the project’s original concessioning. Atiku had challenged critics to produce explicit text from the ICC award proving a direct criminal conviction against him.
However, in a policy statement signed by IMPI Chairman Omoniyi Akinsiju, the think-tank argued that public leadership requires satisfying both legal standards and strict ethical scrutiny. The group highlighted a documented $500,000 (£375,000) offshore payment made by Sunrise Power promoter Leno Adesanya to Atiku’s former wife, Jennifer Douglas, during his tenure as Vice President—a transaction red-flagged by the ICC tribunal during cross-examinations.”When an international arbitration body like the ICC red-flags conduct in a transaction, it signals a potential risk of illegality, such as corruption, bribery, fraud, or money laundering,” the group said. “It is to this dimension that we question the integrity, and by extension, the moral standing of Atiku in the whole gamut of the process.”IMPI noted that while the ICC tribunal focused primarily on contractual liabilities between the government and Sunrise Power, the underlying financial flows between project promoters and proxies of public officials undermine public trust.”When high-ranking public figures dismiss documented red flags of proxy transfers as simple non-issues because an arbitral tribunal did not issue a formal penal sentence, it erodes public confidence in political leadership,” IMPI declared.
With political maneuvering already intensifying ahead of the 2027 polls, the group insisted that candidates seeking the presidency must demonstrate complete transparency over their past management of state assets and procurement processes.
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