Apparently still unnerved by the emergence of Atiku Abubakar as the presidential flag bearer for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2019 general elections, the leadership of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) has alleged that former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, has initiated moves to secure a United States’ visa for Atiku Abubakar.
The accusation comes on the heel of Atiku’s endorsement for the position of president by Obasanjo under whom Atiku served as vice president between 1999 and 2007.
The ruling APC made its allegations through a statement signed by its acting National Publicity Secretary, Yekini Nabena.
Mr. Nabena alleged through the statement that the party got its information from its intelligence unit.
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Mr. Nabena said the former president was lobbying US authorities to withdraw the country’s entry ban placed on Abubakar widely known as Atiku.
According to the statement;
“We have come across reports that former President Olusegun Obasanjo has made moves to secure United States entry visa for the presidential candidate of the PDP, Alh. Atiku Abubakar, whose candidacy he endorsed on Thursday.
It is learnt that that the former President who during and after leaving office insisted on Atiku’s unsuitability to govern Nigeria based on his knowledge of the latter’s extensive corrupt practices while he served as Vice President, is lobbying US authorities to withdraw the ban reportedly placed on Atiku from entering the United States following a 2005 $500,000 bribery scandal that involved Atiku, his fourth wife, Jennifer and former United States Congressman, William Jefferson.
Recall that the former president while in office had deployed enormous resources of the country on a global dragnet coordinated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in getting Atiku prosecuted for corrupt enrichment and money laundering.
A report by the United States Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, chaired by Senator Carl Levin reported that Atiku used offshore companies to siphon millions of dollars to his fourth wife in the United States, Jennifer while still the vice president of Nigeria between 2000 and 2008.
The report further stated that then President Bush had on the strength of his report, barred Atiku and other corrupt politically exposed persons from being issued visa to the United States, a reason for which he has been unable to travel to the United States till date.
“Former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s intervention in Alh. Abubakar Atiku’s ban from the United States of America is evidence of Obasanjo’s legendary hypocrisy and self-serving interest in national affairs,” the statement read.
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