The Independent Media and Policy Initiative (IMPI) has called on the Federal Government to bring former Vice- President Atiku Abubakar before the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) over an alleged undeclared $500,000 offshore transfer made while he was in office.
The demand follows revelations contained in a 616-page ruling by an International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) arbitration tribunal in Paris concerning the long-disputed 3,960- megawatt Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project.
In a policy statement signed by its chairman, Dr Omoniyi Akinsiju, IMPI said its analysis of the ruling showed that the payment was made on January 30, 2003, from China Castle Investments—an offshore company allegedly owned by Sunrise Power promoter Leno Adesanya—to a US Citibank account belonging to Atiku’s then-wife, Jennifer Douglas.
The transfer reportedly occurred about two weeks before Sunrise Power submitted its tender for the multibillion -dollar Build-Operate-Transfer contract. The project was later awarded to the company on May 22, 2003.
IMPI said the timing established a “close connection” between the payment and the contract award, describing the transaction as a major red flag in the bidding process.
Although Atiku’s legal team has argued that the ICC tribunal did not convict him of bribery, IMPI said the tribunal rejected the explanation that the payment was part of a domestic foreign-exchange swap. According to the group, the tribunal noted the absence of supporting financial documentation.
Akinsiju argued that the alleged transaction could amount to a breach of public-officer rules if Atiku was the ultimate beneficiary of the funds or maintained undeclared foreign accounts through a proxy.
“Under Section 7 of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act, public officers are strictly prohibited from maintaining foreign bank accounts,” he said.
IMPI also pointed to diplomatic cables reviewed during the arbitration proceedings, which allegedly described Adesanya as an “Atiku insider” with direct access to the executive branch.
The group said the cables indicated that he accompanied official Nigerian delegations to China during the early stages of negotiations over the Mambilla project.
While acknowledging that Atiku was not a direct signatory to the procurement process, IMPI maintained that his position as Vice-President gave him significant informal influence over economic affairs.
The organisation argued that undisclosed payments to a public official’s close associate or family member around the time of a major procurement decision could undermine transparency and create a serious conflict of interest—even where a direct quid pro quo cannot be established in civil arbitration.
IMPI urged anti-corruption agencies to investigate the matter and strengthen safeguards against the negotiation of major infrastructure projects outside established ministerial procedures.
It added that, upon a successful prosecution, the CCT could impose sanctions including property forfeiture and a 10-year ban from holding public office, alongside any potential criminal proceedings.