The Independent Media and Policy Initiative (IMPI) has called on the Federal Government to investigate former Vice President Atiku Abubakar over a $500,000 transfer to his former wife, Jennifer Douglas, which the organisation linked to the controversial Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project concession.
IMPI, in Policy Statement 043 issued in September 2026 and signed by its Chairman, Omoniyi M. Akinsiju, PhD, urged relevant anti-corruption agencies to investigate the transaction and determine whether it violated Nigeria’s laws on asset declaration, public procurement and the Code of Conduct for public officers.
The organisation’s call follows a response by Atiku, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), to the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council’s demand that he withdraw from the 2027 presidential race over allegations arising from the Mambilla project.
Atiku had maintained that the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) arbitration tribunal did not find him guilty of corruption or establish that he accepted a bribe. He also challenged the APC campaign council to identify the specific passage in the tribunal’s ruling that indicted him.
However, IMPI argued that the former vice president’s defence did not adequately address questions surrounding the $500,000 transfer, which it said featured in the tribunal’s examination of the dispute between the Federal Government and Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited.
According to the organisation, the tribunal’s 616-page ruling noted a close temporal connection between the January 30, 2003 transfer to Douglas’ account and the purported award of the Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) contract to Sunrise Power on May 22, 2003.
IMPI said the timing of the transaction, alongside the tribunal’s rejection of an explanation offered by Sunrise Power promoter, Leno Adesanya, warranted further scrutiny.
The organisation explained that Adesanya had claimed during the arbitration proceedings that the payment was part of a foreign-exchange transaction involving naira allegedly provided by Atiku in Nigeria and its dollar equivalent transferred to Douglas’ United States bank account.
IMPI said the tribunal rejected the explanation, reportedly citing the absence of supporting bank statements, receipts and a foreign-exchange agreement, as well as questions concerning the offshore company through which the funds were transferred.
The policy group maintained that these circumstances raised questions about a possible conflict of interest and the integrity of the process through which the Mambilla project was initially awarded.
It also referred to a February 2003 United States diplomatic cable cited during the arbitration proceedings, which reportedly described Adesanya as an insider close to the then vice president. IMPI further noted that Atiku led a Nigerian government delegation to China in July 2002 to pursue an engineering partnership for the Mambilla project, with Adesanya included in the delegation.
The organisation acknowledged that Atiku was not a member of the official procurement panel and that the contract award letter was signed by the then Minister of Power and Steel, Olu Agunloye. It nevertheless argued that his position as vice president and his reported influence over federal administrative affairs justified questions about the transaction.
On the legal implications, IMPI urged the Code of Conduct Bureau and the Code of Conduct Tribunal to examine whether the payment was declared in the relevant asset declaration documents and whether any provisions of the Constitution or applicable laws were breached.
It also raised questions about the source of the funds, the circumstances surrounding their transfer to a United States account and whether the transaction complied with applicable financial disclosure and anti-money laundering requirements.
The organisation argued that leaving public office does not automatically extinguish liability for an alleged breach committed while a person was in office, adding that the relevant authorities should determine whether the circumstances warrant further legal action.
The Mambilla project dispute arose from disagreements between the Federal Government and Sunrise Power over the proposed 3,960-megawatt hydroelectric power project in Taraba State. Adesanya had pursued arbitration claims against the Federal Government, including claims for compensation and interest arising from the dispute.
IMPI said the reported findings concerning the $500,000 transfer should be considered alongside the wider circumstances of the project’s initial concessioning.
It called on the Federal Government to activate relevant anti-corruption procedures and urged the appropriate authorities to investigate the former vice president and determine whether there was sufficient evidence to bring proceedings before the Code of Conduct Tribunal or a court of law.
The allegations and questions raised by IMPI are not, in themselves, proof of criminal wrongdoing by Atiku. Any determination of criminal liability would depend on the findings of competent investigative and judicial authorities.
