The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar has finally been issued a visa to the United States.
This was disclosed to the press on Saturday by a family source.
According to the source, Mr. Abubakar has already departed for the United Kingdom, where he would spend some time before proceeding to the United States.
Mr. Abubakar last visited the US 13 year ago.
The FBI had investigated a bribery scandal that involved a former US congressman, William Jefferson, in which the former Vice President was accused of demanding a kickback of $500,000 to facilitate the award of contracts to two American telecommunication firms in Nigeria.
The FBI had searched Atiku’s residence in Maryland then, but no cash was found.
Recall that the ruling party, All Progressives Congress (APC) and detractors of Mr. Abubakar had rumoured that he is barred from entering the United States.
The Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed had also on Thursday urged the US to be cautious in granting visa to Mr. Abubakar.
But commenting on Atiku’s visa status on Friday, Rusell Brooks, spokesman of the US Consulate in Lagos, said that the issuance of visa to Nigerians irrespective of their status is strictly a confidential matter, saying that the US will not comment on the visa status of the PDP presidential candidate.
He advised the ruling party to focus rather on issues.
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