Why US may give Atiku visa – Keyamo

The Director, Strategic Communications, President Muhammadu Buhari Campaign Organisation, Mr. Festus Keyamo (SAN), says the Presidential...

The Director, Strategic Communications, President Muhammadu Buhari Campaign Organisation, Mr. Festus Keyamo (SAN), says the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, may soon be given a United States visa because he is a candidate for the Presidency.

Keyamo said this in a statement on Sunday while reacting to allegations levelled against his principal by Atiku's campaign team.

He said US Congress in a report titled, 'Keeping foreign corruption out of the US', featured Atiku as one of the four notorious cases of money laundering in the world!

The senior advocate said, "Atiku's co-conspirators, Williams Jefferson and Siemens in the bribery deal were convicted and Jefferson went to jail. By running for President of Nigeria, Atiku intends to get some immunity from prosecution.

"Already he is hoping to obtain a visa to visit the US, as a guest of the State Department, a concession that the US will grant to a Presidential candidate of Africa's biggest nation."



He said the congress report noted that Jennifer Douglas Abubakar, a US citizen, who is the fourth wife of Atiku, from 2000 to 2008, helped her husband bring over $40m in suspect funds into the US including at least $1.7m in bribe payments from Siemens AG, a German corporation, and over $38m from little known offshore corporations.

Keyamo said rather than answer to the allegations, Atiku a few days ago, called President Muhammadu Buhari over certain allegations of "corrupt practices" which the President allegedly condones in his government.

The senior advocate said the US Department of Justice's claim that Atiku was not under investigation did not exonerate the former Vice-President.

He added, "How do we as a nation end up with anyone with this sordid record locally and internationally? We have heard the lame defence that the US Justice Department said it has no pending case against Atiku Abubakar. That is only a defence for the ignorant ones.

"In the US, there are indictments the Justice Department can confirm to the world. But there is another category of indictments known as sealed indictments that the Justice Department cannot confirm to anyone. These indictments are sealed under the orders of a Judge.

"Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has a sealed indictment waiting for him in the US. The day he visits the US, not as a candidate in an election, he will face charges."