Atiku
Abubakar, the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),
will arrive the United States any moment from now, crossing one of the most
serious political hurdles on his path ahead of the upcoming general elections,
Owojela’s Blog reports.
Mr Abubakar,
sources said, left Nigeria early today, and is expected to land in Washington
D.C., the American capital, ending a 12-year deprivation of visa to a country
in which he once lived and owned properties.
Campaign
sources told the Media Thursday evening that Mr Abubakar would be speaking at a
forum by the American Chamber of Commerce in Washington D.C. and attend other
meetings aimed at boosting his presidential election standing.
Mr
Abubakar’s arrival in the U.S. may rattle the ruling All Progressives Congress,
which has taunted him for his inability to enter the U.S. for over a decade.
Mr Abubakar
has not visited the U.S. since 2007 when he left as Nigeria’s vice-president.
He served under former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Mr Obasanjo
accused Mr Abubakar of fraud while in office, and he was also linked to
corruption charges filed in the U.S. The politician denied all allegations of
wrongdoing.
For the over
12 years that Mr Abubakar was unable to visit the U.S. American authorities had
declined to issue him entry visa and there were speculation that a secret
indictment had been entered against him by that country’s authorities.
Owojela's
Blog reported last year that Mr Abubakar sold his estate in the United States,
following his inability to enter the country. He denied that his inability to
enter the U.S. informed the sale, saying he only sold the mansion because he no
longer needed it as he was now fully based in Nigeria.
Mr
Abubakar’s visa appears to have come through the intervention of Mr Obasanjo,
with whom he recently settled decade-old dispute ahead of the 2019 elections.
Mr Obasanjo
wants President Muhammadu Buhari out of office, after accusing him of
displaying incompetence in the face of myriads issues confronting the country.
Party
insiders told the Media U.S. authorities made it clear that Mr Abubakar was
issued visa without preconditions, meaning he would not be detained or
harrassed in any way if he entered the country.
Mr Abubakar
received a U.S. visa last December, sources said.
The ruling
APC warned the U.S. government against granting Mr Abubakar a visa, saying it
could tip the outcome of the upcoming presidential elections.
Mr Abubakar,
however, kept his cool, refusing to join issues with the opposition party,
until today when he quietly entered the United States.
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