What is your response to the corruption allegations around the Mabilla Power Project?
The tribunal that looked into this did not find that I demanded or negotiated for any corrupt payment. During my time in office, I recused myself from all power project contracts because of a difference in approach: I believed in a varied power infrastructure plan, while President Obasanjo wanted a centralized, gas-powered system. Because I stepped back from those negotiations, I could not have unilaterally awarded the Mabilla Power Project contract.
Where this comes from
p. 2 Introduction Atiku Abubakar: Answers to questions from the public 2026-10-02 ›
The point that must be made about the Mabilla Power Project is that the tribunal did not flag any incident of me demanding or negotiating for corruption during its proceedings. More importantly, I specifically recused myself from all power project contracts during my term in office because of the methodology being employed for those investments. While I believe in a varied power infrastructure plan, my boss, President Olusegun Obasanjo wanted a centralized power infrastructure powered with gas. So, because of that difference, I did not participate in all power project contract awards during my tenure in office. So, how can I unilaterally award a contract, in this case the Mabilla Power Project, when I was not a party to the negotiations?