The Presidency has refuted reports claiming that former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari was “forced” to testify in an arbitration proceeding in Paris.
While acknowledging that the proceeding exists, the Presidency clarified that all individuals testifying in Nigeria’s defence are doing so voluntarily.
In a statement issued by President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the government dismissed the viral social media reports as “fake news.”
The reports alleged that Buhari had been summoned to the International Chamber of Commerce Court of Arbitration in Paris regarding the $6 billion Mambilla power contract dispute. According to the claims, the former president was “grilled for hours” on Saturday and was scheduled to continue his testimony on Sunday in the case tied to a 2003 power generation and distribution contract awarded to Sunrise Power and Transmission Company of Nigeria by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Addressing the allegations, Onanuga stated:
“While respecting the confidentiality of the proceeding, we wish to state categorically that President Bola Tinubu has not forced anyone to testify for or 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.”
The statement reaffirmed the government’s commitment to defending Nigeria’s interests in the ongoing arbitration.
