Clear Sunrise Power’s $500,000 Bribe – Presidency Fires Back At Atiku

The Presidency has challenged African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar to explain a $500,000 payment made to his former wife, Jennifer Douglas, by Leno Adesanya, promoter of Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited, amid the long-running controversy surrounding the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project.

Politics Nigeria reports that the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, made the demand on Friday in a statement posted on his social media platforms.

Onanuga accused Atiku of avoiding the issue during his Friday’s press conference, saying the former vice-president should address questions surrounding the payment instead of focusing on his campaign position on petrol subsidy and criticism of the Tinubu administration.

The development followed the release of the final award in the arbitration between Sunrise Power and the Federal Government at the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) tribunal in Paris.

Politics reported earlier that the tribunal ruled in Nigeria’s favour, rejecting claims linked to the Mambilla project. The Federal Government said the combined claims could have exposed Nigeria to more than $3.38bn in payments.

According to details of the award, Adesanya told the tribunal that he transferred $500,000 to Douglas on January 30, 2003, through China Castle Investments Limited, an offshore company he controlled.

Adesanya reportedly maintained that the payment was part of a foreign-exchange transaction carried out for Atiku and was unrelated to the Mambilla project. However, the tribunal reportedly found that the explanation was not supported by documentary evidence showing the underlying naira payment, exchange rate, instructions or commercial purpose of the transaction.

The payment occurred less than four months before Sunrise was purportedly awarded a build-operate-transfer contract for the Mambilla project.

However, The Presidency has framed the timing as a major integrity question for Atiku, with Onanuga demanding that he provide an explanation.

The ICC tribunal was reported to have noted a close timing between the January 30, 2003 payment and the alleged May 22, 2003 award of the contract to Sunrise. However, reports on the tribunal’s award indicate that the tribunal did not itself make a finding that Atiku received a bribe. Sunrise’s promoter disputed the allegation and said the payment was a foreign-exchange transaction.

It was learnt that the Mambilla dispute dates back to 2003, when Sunrise claimed it had secured a contract to develop the 3,960-megawatt hydroelectric project in Taraba State.

The Federal Government subsequently challenged the validity of the arrangement, maintaining that the contract had not received the necessary approval from the Federal Executive Council.

President Tinubu said the latest ICC ruling had removed what he described as the biggest legal hurdle that had stalled the Mambilla project for years. He also commended former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Muhammadu Buhari for testifying in the proceedings in defence of Nigeria’s position.

The APC Presidential Campaign Council had earlier used the tribunal proceedings to attack Atiku, with its spokesman, Dele Alake, alleging that the former vice-president compromised Nigeria’s interests in the Mambilla matter.

It also called on Atiku to withdraw from the 2027 presidential race, while linking the controversy to broader allegations concerning his record in public office.

Bayo Onanuga; Atiku Abubakar

Onanuga said Atiku should directly address the $500,000 transaction rather than diverting attention to other political issues.

“A man who cares about his integrity and wants to offer himself for leadership should address the integrity issue first, but instead he used his so-called World Press Conference to talk about his newfound campaign mantra: his pro-petrol subsidy stance. He also attacked the Tinubu administration,” Onanuga wrote.

“Nigerians should also consider what was at stake for the public treasury if Atiku’s allies succeeded in Paris. Sunrise and Leno Adesanya would have walked away from Paris with $3.38 billion, including the $680 million settlement sum and interest, plus the $2.7 billion claim for compensation and interest related to the non-development of the Mambilla Hydro Power project.

“A politician who aspires to lead Nigeria must be willing to answer questions about his integrity. Atiku should respond to the $500,000 bribe directly rather than divert public attention with unsupported allegations against the government.”

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