Former President Muhammadu Buhari has returned to Nigeria after testifying in a $6 billion arbitration case brought against the country by Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited at the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Court of Arbitration in Paris, France.
Buhari’s arrival was confirmed in a video shared on X (formerly Twitter) by a former Special Assistant on Digital Communications, Bashir Ahmad.
The video showed Buhari stepping off an aircraft after his trip to France.
Ahmad wrote, “Former President Muhammadu Buhari has returned to Nigeria after defending the country before the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in Paris in connection with the $2.3 billion arbitration case filed by Sunrise Power.”
The former president was summoned to testify in the high-profile case concerning the controversial Mambilla power project.
The dispute stems from a 2003 agreement to construct a 3,050MW hydropower plant in Taraba State, valued at $6 billion, on a build, operate, and transfer basis.
Sunrise Power initiated the arbitration process in 2017, claiming $2.354 billion for an alleged breach of contract. The company also accused the Nigerian government of failing to honour a 2020 agreement to settle the dispute with a $400 million payment.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo also traveled to France to testify in the case. Obasanjo has consistently denied authorising the former Minister of Power and Steel, Olu Agunloye, to commit Nigeria to the controversial contract.
Buhari, during his presidency, similarly distanced himself from any settlement agreement with Sunrise Power.
In February 2024, he stated, “I never authorised any settlement agreement with Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited on the Mambilla project.”
