PRESS RELEASED BY APC WOMEN AND YOUTH PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN TEAM (WYPCaT) ON ATIKU ABUBAKAR’S VISIT TO THE UNITED STATES AND THE BURDEN OF CORRUPTION

PRESS RELEASED BY APC WOMEN AND YOUTH PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN TEAM (WYPCaT) ON ATIKU ABUBAKAR’S VISIT TO THE UNITED STATES AND THE BURDEN OF CORRUPTION

There has been a challenge for the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar which had been insurmountable for the last 12 years until a few days ago:  It was thought to be nigh impossible for him to have accomplished that with the allegations of corruption against his person in the United States which had even led to the incarceration of one of his associates Congressman William Jefferson from Louisiana who Atiku had demanded a bribe of $500,000 from according to the United States FBI, and civil charges settled by a German company Siemens AG. Nigerians, and indeed, the world, were caught agape at how he was able to get through with the stunt considering the bipartisan 328-page report (KEEPING CORRUPTION OUT OF THE UNITED STATES: FOUR CASE HISTORIES) by the United States Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations in conjunction with Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs based on the hearing of February 4th, 2010 which indicted Atiku Abubakar with his fourth wife Jennifer Douglas. The report is still on the website of the United States Senate (www.hsgac.senate.gov) where a search of Atiku’s name (Atiku Abubakar) on the webpage brings up all links with the Atiku case files –what the US Senate has about him.


The US Senate has not had a sitting to review and rescind its stand and resolution on the case of Atiku Abubakar yet, and to exonerate others who had been charged and/or convicted in relation to the Atiku case; refund monies paid as fine to the Government of the US, and to finally take the record off its webpage. This is implicative of the fact that Atiku still has a case of corruption upon his person and character in the US as revealed by the US Senate Report (cited above). The non-apprehension of Atiku in the United States can be attributed to the following reasons:


1. From available information, Senate President Bukola Saraki, who is also the Director General of the Atiku Abubakar Presidential Campaign Organisation engaged the services of an influential lobbyist with the Trump Administration, Brian D. Ballard of Ballard Partners, Inc., on September 21, 2018, to secure entry for Atiku Abubakar into the US. In an article titled ‘What does a $1.1 million lobbying contract buy in Trump’s Washington?’ by Ludd Legum (journalist and former Research Director of Hillary Clinton Presidential Campaign) on his newsletter page: Popular Information, revealed that the lobbyists got paid $1.1 million on a monthly pay $90,000 on quarterly basis which does not include registration and travel expenses. He also revealed in the article that the contract (part of Duties of The Firm reads: 'It shall be the Firm's duty to consult with the Client and advocate on its behalf those issues the Client deems necessary and appropriate before the US Federal government. Issues and objectives may include, but not limited to, enhancement of US-Nigeria relations, strengthening and advancing democratic values and the rule of law in Nigeria, with the special focus in the coming months on maintaining political and security conditions free of intimidation and interference in order to ensure the success and fairness of Nigeria's national election for president in 2019. It shall further be the Firm's duty to inform the Client of developments in legislation and policy relevant to the Client's issues and objectives.') with Mr Ballard required an immediate release of $270,000 and another tranche of $270,000 in late December of 2018, which culminates in $540,000 as yet. It was also alleged that the facilitators got $800,000 for their services in getting the lobbyist. The lobbyist explored some lacunas in International Law and America’s Policy on Non-Intervention (Non-Interference) with political activities of foreign countries. The scheme was very discreet with only a very few privy to the information even among the top echelons of the Atiku Presidential Campaign Team. The United States does not publicly divulge reasons for not granting visas but Legum also revealed in his newsletter that ‘a former government official who has seen the documentation confirmed to Popular Information that Abubakar, until very recently, was banned from obtaining a US visa under Proclamation 7750’. The Presidential Proclamation 7750 was signed by President George Bush on January 12, 2004, suspending entry into the United States, of persons engaged in or benefitting from corruption, particularly for cases linked to the United States.


2. The United States has a policy prohibiting the interference with political activities of other countries. This lacuna aided the lobbyists in putting up an argument which made it seem that United States’ refusal to allow Atiku access into the country at this moment was already providing an advantage to the All Progressives Congress (APC), we should not forget that Goodluck Jonathan alleged in his book and attributed his defeat in the 2015 election to the interference of the US. Thus, any action of the United States that confers an advantage to a political party amounts to interference in the electoral process. This argument by the lobbyist was persuasive enough. Secondly, and more on informed assumption, for the United States being a government which endeavours to protect and promotes democracy around the world and having political affairs desks at their various embassies that analyse and aggregate candidates, political parties, and events where they are located, they could grant Mr Atiku a leeway as a high profile contender in the forth-coming presidential elections in Nigeria. This is because the American authorities are not unaware of the constitutional provisions and other related legislation(s) in Nigeria and the associated problems and/or political crisis which his arrest could create in the Nigerian democratic system since our constitution and electoral law only has the provision for the replacement of a dead candidate as in the case of Abubakar Audu of Kogi State (the law says the person who comes second in the primaries shall be assumed as the flag bearer), and did not envisage a case where the aspirant in a major election could be arrested, and more so, in another country on allegations of corruption. The United States Government shall not be so directly engaged in an act that would jeopardize the democracy in another country, and better still, the democracy in Nigeria; hence he could enjoy a diplomatic waiver (against arrest) because of his status as a candidate of major opposition party. His arrest at this point could be viewed by many at various quarters as being motivated by the Nigerian Government. This is despite the constitutional crisis that the country would be plunged into. Just like In the case of Uhuru Kenyatta, he was indicted by the ICC but could still move around enjoying his diplomatic immunity. The US Government could put all these considerations and look at a bigger picture for the sake of democracy. But if Atiku could not step into the United States for the last 12 years, not even to visit his beloved wife (Jennifer) who is a citizen of the United States, he is now dared to visit the United States after he must have lost the February presidential elections in Nigeria. That is when we shall be slaked of any questions regarding his arrest in the United States.


3. Based on the logic of this argument, Atiku Abubakar was granted conditional waiver for six months to enter the United States. He could not stay in the United States for more than seven days within the waiver period, neither could he communicated with any member of the US Government. He must also agreed to a 24-hour surveillance of himself while in the US.


4. The United States is a signatory to the United Nations Declaration on the Inadmissibility of Intervention and Interference in the Domestic Affairs of States (UNGA Resolution 2131 (XX) of 1965. The resolution remains the basis for the relationship between so many member states including the US. In international law, the principle of non-intervention is not limited to the prohibition of the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity of a state, but also includes interference on the political independence of any state. The principle of non-intervention in the local affairs of States also signifies that a State should not otherwise intervene in a dictatorial way in the internal affairs and electoral process of other States.


5. On the issue of presumption of innocence, the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigerian (as altered), contains in Section 36 (5) that:


'Every person who is charged with a criminal offence shall be presumed to be innocent until he is proved guilty;


'Provided that nothing in this section shall invalidate any law by reason only that the law imposes upon any such person the burden of proving particular facts.'


This presumption of innocence by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is not a provision peculiar to the Nigerian state alone. In the United Sates, there is also such provision of the presumption of innocence in their legal system. This means that Atiku Abubakar shall enjoy the “due process of law” and the right to “equal protection under the law” (to all, including aliens) of the United States as enshrined in the 5th and 14th amendments of the United States Constitution, respectively. Thus , Atiku remains an indicted person by the report of the US Senate (cited above);until convicted by court of competent jurisdiction


6. Having served Nigeria as the number 2 citizen of the country for eight years, Atiku Abubakar has the status of a state guest on any visit to any country in the world. Hence, the Nigerian Embassy located anywhere he would be visiting needs to be informed of his visit and adequate provisions made for his welcome. But on this particular visit, the Nigerian Embassy in the United States was not aware of the visit of Atiku Abubakar which increases the bewilderment associated with his visit to the United States. His aides here in Nigeria even denied his going to the United States until they were certain that he had arrived the Dulles International Airport in Washington DC before announcing that he was in the US. They further lodged at the Trump International Hotel Washington DC, to create the impression that the President of the United States, Donald Trump is aware of the visit which is a deceitful tactic employed by PDP upon the intelligence of Nigerians.


7. Rumour has it that (which is yet to be denied but perhaps, by seeing this article a rebuttal may be issued) that the Director General of the Atiku Presidential Campaign Team, who is also the President of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Sen. Bukola Saraki, slated Atiku Abubakar for his trip to the United States as an “Aide” or precisely among the retinue of the Senate President which gives him the Diplomatic immunity against arrest. That is the reason the Nigerian Embassy in the United States was not pre-informed of the visit by the former Vice President to the country: thus he was not the guest, he was in the US as part of entourage or an aide to the Senate President under the cover of Diplomatic waiver. This is in utter desperation of the PDP and Atiku himself to make a show that he has gone to the US and was not arrested as presumed by his surrogates. But Nigerians have the right to know the basis upon which the President of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria used in enlisting the former Vice President among his retinue to the US as an aide of his. He, Sen. Saraki, had used the powers of his office to get Atiku into the US as part of their scheme. What has the trip to the United States achieved besides photographic images? It is quite a disgrace and self-impugning, that a former Vice President for eight years, and a politician on note stoops so low to become an aide or part of an entourage to a sitting President of the Senate in order to gain  entry  as well as diplomatic waiver into the United States out of sheer desperation.


8. The meeting conducted in the United States with the US Chamber of Commerce was revealed to be, based on the response received by TheCable (https://www.thecable.ng/just-in-us-chamber-of-commerce-confirms-atikus-business-meeting-in-washington), from the Senior Manager, Media and External Communications of the US Chamber of Commerce, Katharine Cooksey, ‘…private, closed press, and off the record.’ As a Presidential candidate, it is onus upon him to have informed Nigerians that he has been invited for a programme in the United States and the date, venue and time should also be made public ahead of time: a candidate deceiving the electorate even before he becomes president.


9. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo who has suddenly turned into an advocate for Atiku after more than a decade of cautioning Nigerians about what embodiment of evil Atiku is, has also been part of the scheme to see that Atiku gets a leeway from the US Government. Atiku himself had travelled to the United Kingdom to see how the UK government could liaise with US to broker a ground for his visit. After all failed attempts at meeting the goal of his 12-year challenge, they resorted to demeaning the office and prestige of the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and made former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, a mere aide to the Senate President, Sen. Bukola Saraki, in order to gain the necessary Diplomatic cover which shall grant him access into the US.


10. In an interview with the EFCC Zero Tolerance Magazine [https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0t9t8h9k4Qo], Obasanjo expressed wonder as to the reason the EFCC had not taken Atiku to court. He further remarked:


'We got a letter from America in June 2006, listing a number of people to be investigated; Atiku was one of them and that letter went straight to the EFCC.


'It was just shown to me because they will not be able to investigate my number two without my saying “ok”. So, I said if we got this letter from America, so be it.


'If we have agreement with FBI, Metropolitan Police and they are helping us and we are helping them and they write to us and say these are the people we want you to help us investigate, what do you think we should do? You as EFCC, what will you do coincidence or no coincidence?'


This is a remark from one of the men standing as proponents for the Atiku presidential campaign bid in the 2019 elections.


11. The question remains, Atiku and his team should provide Nigerians with a detailed explanation for his trip to the US and upon which invitation it was based. It is also expedient of him with his team to tell Nigerians why he had to be demeaned to the position of a mere aide in the Senate President’s retinue to gain access into the United States: what he had been unable to accomplish for more than a decade.


The ugly past of Atiku Abubakar is catching up with him as the evil that men do lives after them. His actions are now living after him, after he has lived them. With the 2019 general elections only a few weeks away, it is only a thing of little wonder that Atiku and his ilk get into this scheme: knowing well that it shall not exonerate him from his past sins for which he is yet to answer.

Newer Post Older Post