Atiku rejects bribery claim, ICC tribunal finds no proof he influenced Mambilla
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has denied being indicted by the International Chamber of Commerce tribunal over a $500,000 payment made in 2003 to his then-wife, Jennifer Douglas Abubakar. His aide, Phrank Shaibu, said the arbitration did not indict or convict Atiku and cannot be turned into a criminal verdict. The denial came after the APC Presidential Campaign Council accused him of compromising Nigeria’s interests in the Mambilla power project and called on him to withdraw from the 2027 presidential race.
The ICC tribunal examined the payment from Sunrise Power promoter Leno Adesanya and said the circumstances raised "significant red flags" but also stated there is no evidence that Atiku used his official position to foster the award of the contract to Sunrise. It also looked at three smaller payments to then-Power Minister Olu Agunloye and noted the lack of documentary proof for Adesanya’s foreign-exchange explanation. While the tribunal rejected Sunrise’s claims, removing billions of dollars in potential liability for Nigeria, it could not accept the payment as a bona fide foreign-exchange deal.
Will the tribunal’s red-flag findings, despite no proof of bribery, affect how Nigerians view Atiku’s 2027 presidential ambition?