The Federal Government has said that the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has questions to answer when he returns from his trip to the United States.
Information minister, Lai Mohammed, said this while briefing State House correspondents on Friday.
The government said it is investigating Mr Abubakar’s alleged role in the collapse of defunct Bank PHB.
Mr Mohammed said the decision to question Abubakar is “following fresh evidence that he benefitted from slush funds that led to the collapse of Bank PHB.”
He added that the government has in its position “paper trail which shows that he benefitted from N156 million.”
“It started from an internal memo dated 13 January 2009 asking that a draft in favour of Atiku Abubakar of 156 million should be raised,” he said.
Mohammed also said another memo on the same date was raised to confirm that the amount was raised from a “claimant management account.”
He said the government has proof of the account mandate, cheque and account statement showing Abubakar as the signatory to the account that received the money.
“We want him to stay in the US for as long as he wants but he has to explain to Nigerians when he returns,” he said.
Speaking further on the visit of the former vice president to the US, the minister said the government had earlier advised the US not to issue Abubakar a visa.
“We are not perturbed one bit. He can go ahead and get a U.S. green card. That will not save him from imminent defeat in the forthcoming election,” Mohammed said.
The minister, however, said his claim does not imply that the former vice president will be arrested on his return.
