2027: APC accuses Atiku of corruption, says he’s unfit for presidency

The APC has accused former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of being unfit to oversee Nigeria’s national treasury, citing past controversies involving the Mambilla power project, Siemens and other international financial investigations.

In a statement issued on Thursday by its National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, the ruling party said the controversies surrounding Atiku raised questions about his record on accountability ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

The APC’s statement comes days after an International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) arbitration tribunal examined a $500,000 payment made in 2003 by Leno Adesanya, promoter of Sunrise Power, to Jennifer Douglas, Atiku’s then-wife.

The tribunal said the circumstances surrounding the payment raised “significant red flags” but also stated that it found no evidence in the arbitration that Atiku had used his official position to facilitate the award of the Mambilla contract to Sunrise Power.

Morka, however, cited the Mambilla matter alongside the Siemens bribery controversy, the William Jefferson case and a 2010 US Senate investigation involving offshore financial transfers linked to Atiku and Douglas.

The APC said the issues were documented in official records and international investigations and argued that they should be considered in assessing Atiku’s suitability for public office.

On the Mambilla payment, the tribunal found that Adesanya had not produced documents showing the underlying naira payment, exchange rate, instructions from Atiku or his aides, or other records establishing the commercial purpose of the transaction. Neither Atiku nor Douglas provided testimony to corroborate the foreign-exchange explanation.

The tribunal nevertheless expressly said there was no evidence before it that Atiku had exercised his duties as vice-president in a manner that fostered the award of the Mambilla contract to Sunrise.

The former vice-president has also rejected suggestions that the arbitration amounted to an indictment or corruption verdict against him. His spokesperson, Phrank Shaibu, argued that the tribunal did not find that Atiku received a bribe, abused his office or influenced the contract award.

Morka also criticised Atiku over his reported position on fuel subsidy, accusing him of abandoning his 2023 position in favour of subsidy removal.

The APC spokesman further invoked former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s past criticism of Atiku, including Obasanjo’s reported 2026 remark that he would not have selected Atiku as his running mate had he known him as he later did.

Morka concluded by describing Atiku as unsuitable for the presidency and urged Nigerians to reject his bid for the 2027 election.