The Presidency has clarified that former President Muhammadu Buhari voluntarily testified in a Paris court regarding the $6 billion Mambilla power contract case. In a statement issued by Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, emphasised that all participants in Nigeria’s defense are willingly involved in the confidential proceedings. The Presidency said this marks a rare instance of a former Nigerian leader testifying in such a legal context, with Onanuga dismissing circulating allegations about coercion as “fake news” and reaffirming the commitment of those involved to Nigeria’s interests.
The statement followed media reports that Mr Buhari was grilled for hours at a Paris court in an arbitration proceeding over the Mambilla dispute.
Anti-graft investigations have focused on Leno Adesanya, the main anchor of the Mambilla power scam, which has persisted for more than 20 years. It was discovered that he allegedly bribed a former minister to obtain the contract. According to information obtained, Buhari was interrogated for several hours on Saturday and would continue testifying on Sunday before the Paris-based International Chamber of Commerce Court of Arbitration in case number 26260/SPN/AB/CPB.
According to the People Gazette’s report, the former president was unwilling to testify, so Attorney-General Lateef Fagbemi reportedly visited him at his Daura home last week to force him to appear. About $200 million in previously authorised payments for the project, which was to be started in partnership with a Chinese company, were allegedly withheld by Buhari’s administration.
According to court documents, on April 22, 2020, former Attorney-General Abubakar Malami informed Adesanya and Mambilla Power of the decision to terminate the arrangement, the newspaper reported.
Nigerian authorities attempted to arrest Adesanya and accuse him of bribery and economic sabotage when he objected to the measures taken against his company. He went to arbitration after refuting the accusations.
Onanuga said, “The attention of the Presidency has been drawn to some fake news on social media about an arbitration proceeding in Paris to which the Nigerian Government is a party.
“The private proceeding, which should not have been reported in the media, is entirely confidential until the international arbitrators decide.
“While respecting the confidentiality of the proceeding, we wish to state categorically that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has not forced anyone to testify for or to refrain from testifying against Nigeria.
“All the eminent Nigerians involved in Nigeria’s defence are doing so willingly and out of sheer patriotism and conviction. President Tinubu and the entire country are grateful to them.”
