Mambilla power project: Obasanjo, Buhari dusts sunrise, TCL at ICC
By Dooyum Naadzenga
Nigeria secured a significant advantage Friday in its ongoing arbitration dispute with Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited over the $6 billion Mambilla hydropower project.
The arbitration hearings, held at the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in Paris, saw former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Muhammadu Buhari testify on behalf of Nigeria, denying the validity of the 2003 contract award to Sunrise.
Obasanjo and Buhari’s testimonies, described as “strong,” “frank,” and “unequivocal,” asserted that the contract and the 2020 settlement agreement lacked legitimacy. Their statements were supported by former ministers Babatunde Fashola and Suleiman Adamu, who testified on the loopholes in the contract and settlement agreement.
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In a significant blow to Sunrise’s case, its key witnesses, including Olu Agunloye, the former minister of power who awarded the contract, and Michael Aondoakaa, former attorney-general of the federation, failed to show up or testify. A third key witness, a Senegalese lady allegedly involved in the settlement agreement, also did not appear.
Sunrise is seeking $2.354 billion in compensation for alleged breach of contract, while Nigeria maintains that the contract and settlement agreement are invalid. The arbitration tribunal will now review written submissions from both parties before announcing its determination.
Obasanjo has publicly challenged Agunloye to explain his authority to award the contract, stating that no minister had the power to approve such a large project without presidential consent. Buhari has also denied authorizing the settlement agreement, emphasizing that he refused to approve the deal due to lack of basis for Sunrise’s claim.
