The Independent Media and Policy Initiative (IMPI) has questioned the moral standing of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar over the disputed Mambilla Power Project concession, urging him to address what it described as substantive ethical concerns arising from the international arbitration proceedings.
IMPI’s position came amid an escalating political exchange between Atiku and the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council over calls for the former vice president to withdraw from the 2027 presidential race.
Atiku had challenged his critics to produce explicit portions of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) arbitral award establishing that he was directly convicted of corruption in connection with the Mambilla dispute.
However, in a policy statement, IMPI Chairman, Dr Omoniyi Akinsju, argued that Atiku’s response focused on legal technicalities rather than the ethical issues raised by the tribunal proceedings.
The group said public leadership demanded adherence not only to legal requirements but also to higher standards of transparency and ethical conduct, particularly in the management of public assets and procurement processes.
IMPI specifically drew attention to what it described as contradictions between testimony reportedly given before the United States Senate in 2010 and statements made during ICC cross-examination concerning the origin and purpose of a $500,000 transfer to Jennifer Douglas, Atiku’s former wife.
“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,” the group said.
According to IMPI, the central issue in the Mambilla controversy is the $500,000 transfer and the purpose it was intended to serve in relation to the concession of the Mambilla Power Project to Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited.
The organisation said the tribunal’s treatment of the financial transfer raised questions that, in its view, deserved public clarification, particularly in relation to the integrity of the administrative process surrounding the project.
“For us, the crux of the Mambilla-ICC saga is the $500,000 cash transfer made to Jennifer, Atiku’s former wife and the purpose it was supposed to serve in securing the Mambilla Power project concession,” IMPI stated.
It further argued that the tribunal’s rejection of a defence concerning the foreign exchange transfer to Jennifer’s foreign account should be viewed as a significant indicator requiring scrutiny of the concessioning process.
IMPI maintained that although the arbitration proceedings centred on contractual liabilities between the Nigerian government and the project promoter, the financial issues raised during the proceedings had broader implications for public accountability and governance.
The group therefore called for greater transparency from political actors seeking the presidency in 2027, particularly concerning their previous stewardship of public resources, procurement processes and major national projects.
The Mambilla Power Project dispute has remained a contentious issue involving the Federal Government and Sunrise Power, with the international arbitration proceedings generating competing interpretations of the facts and their implications for the individuals involved.
