A Nigerian policy think-tank has called on anti-corruption agencies to prosecute former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, citing troubling ethical findings and alleged code of conduct violations highlighted in a recent international arbitration ruling.
In a comprehensive policy statement issued in Abuja, the Independent Media and Policy Initiative (IMPI) argued that findings from a 616-page ruling by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) tribunal in Paris justify a formal criminal investigation into the 2003 concessioning of the multi-billion-dollar Mambilla Hydropower Project.
The call follows a public dispute between the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and Atiku, the presidential candidate for the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC). Atiku had dismissed calls for his immediate withdrawal from the 2027 presidential race, challenging critics to show where the ICC explicitly convicted him of corruption or bribery. However, IMPI Chairman Omoniyi Akinsiju described Atiku’s defense as “an escapist resort to legalese,” pointing out that international arbitral tribunals assess contractual disputes rather than issue criminal sentences.Central to the controversy is a $500,000 (£375,000) wire transfer sent on 30 January 2003 by Leno Adesanya—owner of Sunrise Power and Transmission Company—via an offshore shell entity, China Castle Investments, to a US Citibank account belonging to Atiku’s former wife, Jennifer Douglas. The tribunal noted that the payment occurred roughly two weeks before Sunrise Power submitted its tender for the 3,960-megawatt project, and four months before the concession contract was awarded.”The tribunal concluded that there is a close connection in time between the payment made to the wife of Vice-President Abubakar and the alleged award of the contract to Sunrise,” Mr. Akinsiju said. “This rendition of executive conduct is deeply troubling as it smacks of corruption and breaches federal procurement processes.”The think-tank highlighted sharp contradictions between historical testimonies regarding the transfer:In 2010, during a US Senate investigation into foreign corruption, Jennifer Douglas testified under oath that the $500,000 came directly from her husband, denying knowledge of China Castle Investments. During the ICC cross-examinations, Mr. Adesanya claimed the money was a private foreign exchange deal in which Atiku paid him in Nigerian Naira in exchange for US dollars wired abroad. The ICC tribunal rejected Adesanya’s foreign exchange defense, noting a complete lack of bank statements, exchange receipts, or currency trading licenses to support the claim, categorizing the transaction as a major “red flag” for proxy bribery.IMPI argued that under Nigerian law, if the $500,000 originated from Atiku as his former wife claimed, it points to potential violations of the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) Act, which strictly prohibits public officials from maintaining foreign bank accounts or failing to declare offshore assets.”Whether viewed as proxy bribery from a government contractor or the operation of an undisclosed foreign account, the transaction captures a compromise of the procurement process that can only be described as ‘MambillaGate,'” the statement read.
The group urged the federal government to activate anti-corruption protocols and refer the former Vice President to the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) and civil courts for formal investigation.
Add Comment