By Adebola Muili
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has urged Nigerians to reject former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s bid for the presidency in the 2027 election, citing alleged corruption controversies associated with his political career.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, made the call in a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday, September 24, 2026, titled: “2027: Why Nigerians Must Keep Atiku Away From the National Treasury.”
Morka cited controversies surrounding the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project, the Siemens bribery case, the William Jefferson case and a 2010 United States Senate investigation into suspicious financial transactions involving Atiku and his former wife, Jennifer Douglas.
According to him, the issues were documented in official records, government investigations, legislative reports and international financial inquiries, which he said raised questions about Atiku’s record of probity and accountability.
On the Mambilla project, the APC spokesman referred to a $500,000 payment made in January 2003 by Leno Adesanya, promoter of Sunrise Power, to Douglas, who was Atiku’s wife at the time, through an offshore company.
Morka said the payment occurred around the period the Mambilla contract was awarded, when Atiku was Vice President, describing the development as particularly troubling.
He also revisited the Siemens bribery scandal, alleging that approximately $2.8 million linked to the case passed through a bank account owned by Douglas. He said the scandal formed part of the controversies surrounding Atiku during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
The APC spokesman further cited the case involving former United States Congressman William Jefferson, who was convicted and imprisoned in the United States over bribery-related offences, saying Atiku and some of his associates came under the scrutiny of American investigators in connection with a proposed business partnership.
Morka also referenced the 2010 report of the US Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, which examined more than $40 million in suspicious funds transferred into the United States through offshore companies and accounts associated with Douglas and her family.
He said the controversies should be considered by Nigerians ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
The APC spokesman also criticised Atiku’s position on fuel subsidy, accusing him of reversing his earlier position in support of subsidy removal and now promising to restore the policy if elected president.
Morka argued that restoring fuel subsidy would have significant implications for the country’s finances, particularly against the backdrop of the government’s economic reforms and rising foreign exchange reserves.
He further cited former President Obasanjo’s recent comments on his decision to select Atiku as his running mate in 1999.
Obasanjo had described the decision as the biggest mistake of his presidency, saying, “If I had known him as I came to know him later, I would not have picked him.”
Morka said the statement by the former president further reinforced the APC’s position that Atiku should not be entrusted with the nation’s presidency.
He therefore called on Nigerians to consider the issues raised by the party as they prepare to make their choice in the 2027 presidential election.
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