- Safiu Kehinde
The Presidency has dismissed the alleged forcing of eminent Nigerians by President Bola Tinubu to testify for the country before an arbitration proceeding in Paris.
This was made known in a statement issued on Saturday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
The President’s spokesperson dismissed claims by an online media report that Tinubu restrained Nigerian representatives spearheaded by former President Muhammadu Buhari, from testifying against the country over $6bn Mambilla power project dispute.
He held that all the eminent Nigerians involved in Nigeria’s defence did so willingly and out of sheer patriotism and conviction.
Onanuga, however, noted that the arbitration proceeding is expected to be confidential until the international arbitrators decide to make it public.
The statement read in part; “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.”
According to reports, an online news platform had on Saturday evening reported that former President Buhari was summoned before a court in Paris to testify in an arbitration proceeding over the $6bn Mambilla power contract dispute.
The report claimed that Buhari had been “hauled before the court on Saturday for breaching the terms of a power generation and distribution contract awarded to Sunrise Power and Transmission Company of Nigeria by former President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2003.”
The report further claimed that Buhari was “grilled for hours on Saturday and would continue his testimony on Sunday before the International Chamber of Commerce Court of Arbitration in Paris in case number 26260/SPN/AB/CPB.”
It quoted sources who said President Bola Tinubu approved the decision to push his predecessor before the foreign arbitration panel- a claim denied by the Presidency.