Mambilla Fraud: Buhari, Other Nigerian Leaders Who Testified in ICC Tribunal
- Former Presidents Obasanjo and Buhari were among four key witnesses who testified for Nigeria before the ICC in Paris
- Obasanjo denied claims that a valid contract was ever awarded to Sunrise Power during his presidency, while Buhari rejected a proposed settlement
- Former ministers Babatunde Fashola and Suleiman Adamu also testified for Nigeria in the landmark arbitration case
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Nigeria has won a court ruling against Sunrise Power and Transmission Company at the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in Paris, with four former top government officials having testified on Nigeria's behalf during proceedings at the tribunal.
Tolu Ogunlesi, a former presidential aide, revealed the identities of the witnesses in a social media post on Friday, September 18.
Source: Twitter
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo
Obasanjo appeared before the ICC as a witness and firmly denied Sunrise Power's central claim that a valid contract had been approved and awarded to the company in 2003, during his time as president.
According to the disclosure, there was never any Federal Executive Council approval for the project. However, allegations of high-level document forgery have been linked to that period.
Former President Muhammadu Buhari
ICC reportedly examines $500,000 payment to Atiku’s wife late former President Muhammadu Buhari also testified for Nigeria during the arbitration process. While in office, Buhari flatly rejected a proposed settlement that would have required Nigeria to pay Sunrise Power.
His refusal to agree to any out-of-court payment strengthened Nigeria's position and signalled the government's determination to contest the claim through formal legal proceedings.
Former Minister Babatunde Raji Fashola
Babatunde Raji Fashola, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and former Minister of Power, Works and Housing, was another witness who testified on Nigeria's behalf before the ICC tribunal in Paris.
Fashola's ministerial background gave his testimony added weight, particularly on technical and administrative matters relating to the power infrastructure project at the centre of the dispute.
Former Minister Suleiman Adamu
Suleiman Adamu, who served as Minister of Water Resources, also appeared before the ICC to testify for Nigeria. His inclusion among the witnesses reflected the broad governmental involvement in building Nigeria's defence against Sunrise Power's claims.
Together, the four witnesses formed a significant part of Nigeria's legal strategy, helping the country secure the ruling handed down in its favour by the ICC.
The full list was shared by Ogunlesi on X here:
ICC reportedly examines $500,000 payment to Atiku’s wife
Legit.ng earlier reported that a 2026 ICC arbitral tribunal in Paris examined a $500,000 payment made to Jennifer Douglas Abubakar, wife of then Vice-President Atiku Abubakar.
The payment was made on January 30, 2003, just months before a minister purportedly awarded Sunrise Power a BOT contract for the Mambilla project.
The tribunal said it could not rule out a link between the payment and Atiku's leading role in the Nigerian government over the Mambilla project.
Source: Legit.ng
