The All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused former President Olusegun Obasanjo of making moves to secure United States entry visa for the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, whose candidacy he endorsed on Thursday.
National publicity secretary of the ruling party, Yekini Nabena, made the allegation in a statement released in Abuja on Friday.
Nabena said the APC has come across credible reports that Obasanjo 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.
Atiku served as vice president under Obasanjo from 1999 to 2007.
“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 syphon 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 (George) 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 Alhaji 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 claim.
