The presidency on Saturday confirmed Peoples Gazette’s report that former President Muhammadu Buhari appeared before a court in Paris over $6 billion Mambilla power project fraud.

It however claimed that Mr Buhari appeared in the arbitration proceeding in Paris of his own volition.

Citing sources familiar with the development, Peoples Gazette reported that, “Mr Buhari was 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.”

In pushback against The Gazette story, presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, denied that Mr Tinubu compelled his predecessor to appear before the Paris court, but confirmed Mr Buhari was grilled by the arbitration panel.

“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,” Mr Onanuga said in a statement on Saturday shortly after The Gazette story went viral online.

Mr Onanuga also admitted that The Gazette made public Mr Buhari’s appearance before Paris court which was supposed to be confidential.

“The private proceeding, which should not have been reported in the media, is entirely confidential until the international arbitrators decide,” Mr Onanuga said.

Contrary to the age-long tradition when past Nigerian presidents either ignored  or shunned court invitations, Mr Buhari was grilled for hours at the foreign arbitration court.  

In the exclusive story, The Gazette cited sources familiar with the matter said, “President Bola Tinubu approved the decision to haul his predecessor before the foreign arbitration panel.’’

 A top administration official said Mr Buhari was reluctant to give testimony on the matter. “Still, Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, visited him at his residence in Daura last week to compel his appearance. The AGF made it clear to the president that he must be in Paris,” the official said on condition of anonymity.