Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has replied the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who accused him of mounting pressure on American authorities to expunge an alleged corruption case against opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
The APC alleged that Atiku Abubakar was a wanted felon on the United States of charges of fraud.
The ruling party further claimed that former president Obasanjo was working behind the scenes to have the charges against Atiku cleared so he can have an easy entry into the US.
Atku Abubakar has not been able to enter the U.S. since 2007 when he completed his two-terms as vice-president, under former President Obasanjo.
The claim of the APC came on the heels of the reconciliation between Obasanjo and Atiku with the former pledging his support for Atiku’s presidential bid.
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The reconciliation brought to an end years of squabbling between both parties who had been antagonistic towards each other shortly before 2007.
The APC said Obasanjo’s purported intervention betrayed his “legendary hypocrisy and self-serving interest in national affairs.”
Obasanjo however responded through a statement issued by his spokesperson, Kehinde Akinyemi saying;
“Baba cannot be responding to frivolous allegations by a vicious political party. Let them bring any shred of evidence to back their false claim.
It is unfortunate that they are trying to distract the attention of Nigerians in the lead up to a general election rather than focus on campaigning on serious issues to lift the country out of its current state.”
Atiku Abubakar was fingered in a broadband contract scandal while in office by American and Nigerian authorities, but he was never charged to court.
His inability to travel to the U.S. for over a decade however has made him vulnerable to corruption accusations which he has continuously and vehemently denied saying he applied for the U.S. visa but was declined more than once.
The U.S. Embassy in Nigeria as well as the State Department in Washington have refused to clarify issues around Atiku Abubakar’s visa, despite numerous enquiries.