2019: Atiku Abubakar’s U.S visit stir fresh political dust

He arrived in the mildly cold weather of Washington in the twilight of Thursday. It was a carefully planned trip that was kept under wraps until the last minute. Aides were largely kept in the dark, not for anything but for the drama and shock the entire exercise was billed to generate.
The Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) see Abubakar’s visit as a political victory over lingering controversy on his tainted local and international image. Diplomatic sources hinted Newdawn that former President Olusegun Obasanjo played a key role in ensuring that Abubakar got the US nod to visit the US after procuring the Visa late last year.
“Just arrived in Washington D.C for a meeting with US government officials, Nigerians living in D.C metropolis and the business community. I’m now in Washington with Presidential aspirant, Atiku Abubakar”, the Senate President Bukola Saraki tweeted with a broad smile from a Washington reception lounge where he shared the same seat with Atiku.
The tweet ran viral attracting thousands of retweets amidst social media cheers from supporters amidst a string of boos and doubts from largely members of the All Progressives Congress, (APC). Around 8.26 pm on Thursday, Atiku and Saraki were shown in a picture receiving a banquet of roses from an unidentified lady.
Our correspondent learnt that while in the US, Atiku will meet with US top officials who are keenly interested in Nigeria’s forthcoming elections.
He is expected to meet with junior officials in the US state department but not in a formal or official capacity. Nigeria is one of US most outstanding trade partners with bilateral transactions between the two countries hitting millions of dollars.
Surprisingly, the largely vibrant Nigerian media did not report the trip until Atiku had landed in the US raising questions about the capacity of the local media to foresee critical future events. There were suggestions that a section of the media that knew about the trip kept it away from their tabloids in what some described as betrayal of the public.
Newdawn was informed by a covert State Security Service operative that Atiku came into the airport with very few aides and that his movement was designed not to arouse the curiosity of airport officials. The Senate President on the other hand was said to have worked all week to ensure the two would be in the US before many Nigerians would be informed.
However, reliable security sources told Newdawn that the Presidency was aware of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s trip early enough as the DSS had kept an eagle eye on him with the Presidency receiving constant reports.
“The Presidency was not caught unawares. The Government knew every bit of his movement until he got to the US,” a diplomat who does not wish to be named told our correspondent.
Excited Atiku’s supporters continue to dance beats of victory in the media over the visit. “We must state without equivocation that the visit of the Presidential candidate of the PDP Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to the US has nothing to do with the bana propaganda of the APC, indeed it is in furtherance of his commitment to get Nigeria working again for only along with our countrymen and women in the diaspora so that we can make our country great again,” Chris Mustapha Nwaokobia, Director of Communication, Turaki Vanguard said.
Many Nigerians have shown concern on the debate. If the US had indeed indicted Atiku, why did the administration allow him to visit the US? Daily, many Nigerians are denied the US visas on account of their criminal records.
Social activist, Kayode Ogundamisi in a mockery of the Atiku visit urged the US state department to open the floodgate to Nigerians that the US had earlier described as “undesirable elements”. He tweeted “free at last, Atiku released from 13 years visa ban. The US Embassy in Abuja should extend the same amnesty to other Nigerians they tag undesirables.”A member of South West Professionals, (SOWPROF), Akin Idowu Lawal who lives in the Delaware told Newdawn in a chat that Nigerians should not place their hope for a renaissance on a candidates ability to visit the US or otherwise. He said “Ability to visit the US should not be the criteria to measure a good leader. We should focus on capacity, credibility and experience. Local reputation should be far more important than whether a candidate can visit the US or not. The world will laugh at us if we continue to think that a candidate is not corrupt or is corrupt only when the US say so. It is ridiculous.”
He said most countries are interested in their own economic benefit and are less concerned with the credibility of the person that rules the country.
Confidential diplomatic sources revealed to the Newdawn that the US Embassy in Nigeria had submitted a report on the possible outcome of the 2019 elections to the US State Department and that it was on this basis that the US officials were anxious to meet Abubakar.
The Source said the projection is that Abubakar and Buhari are the two most formidable contenders and that it was customary for the US to place premium on meeting the two candidates.
The report, our correspondent learnt detailed the possibility of large scale rigging, political mayhem and a high prospect for post-election violence which may affect the US strategic interest in Africa’s biggest economy.
Abubakar’s visit to the US has been a source of controversy for years only to be intensified as soon as he indicated interests to contest for the PDP Presidential slot. The PDP topshot was accused of corruption in the US. Offshore companies were said to have wired huge sums of cash to Atiku’s account.
The Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El Rufai had said that Atiku was culpable in the Halliburton case which indicted and brought down US congressman, William Jefferson.
The report tagged “Keeping corruption out of the United States” discovered Mr Abubakar to be ‘culpable of bringing in tens of millions of dollars in suspect funds into the United States.”
The report stated “He is one of four case studies profiled in the report, alongside such other notorious figures as the late Omar Bongo, President of Gabon for 41 years; international arms dealer, Pierre Falcone, since convicted and imprisoned in France; and Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, son of the President of Equitorial Guinea, from whom Brazilian authorities recently seized $16 million in cash and luxury watches.”
Abubakar was also accused of receiving millions of dollars in bribe. Siemens was said to have admitted paying $2million in bribes to Mr Abubakar through one of his wives. Atiku has continued to deny the allegations dismissing them as witch-hunting.
Last year, over 1000 Nigerians home and abroad signed a petition urging the Federal Bureau of Investigation, (FBI) to investigate Abubakar and draw a conclusion on the various corruption cases against him. At a point the US Customs and Border Protection (CPB) was under pressure to propel Abubakar to write a letter authorizing the agency to release report on his immigration status with the US. As it is, the PDP Presidential candidate has not visited the US, crossing a major plank, however, the decisive hurdle lay ahead which is winning the Presidential election. In this context, a visit to the US appears to be a mere drop of water in the ocean.