* Presumption of Atiku’s travel to US – GT Afeez
*Be calm, the last of announcement yet to come – Respondent
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, may have entered another level of controversy barely 24 hours after he promised at a forum in Lagos that he would sell the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and enrich his friends if elected President.
The latest being the new game played out between him, Senate President Bukola Saraki and his spokesman, Paul Ibe, who earlier on Thursday reportedly rubbished with a strong denial online media reports that his boss had confirmedly landed in Washington DC, the United States seat of power.
Against Ibe’s denial, Atiku, in some 15 hours before the filing of this report, personally announced via his Twitter handle that he had arrived in Washington DC.
Atiku AbubakarVerified account @atiku 15h15 hours ago:
“Just arrived Washington D.C for meeting with US government officials, Nigerians living in D.C metropolis and the business community. –AA”, the PDP presidential candidate tweet Thursday night.
He said he planned to meet with United States government officials and Nigerians living in Washington DC area as well as the business community.
The DEFENDER recalled that Atiku’s media aide, Paul Ibe, had earlier reportedly denied that Atiku travelled to the United States.
Ibe was quoted to have said that online reports that Atiku had travelled to the US were a figment of the imagination of the authors.
“You know what the social media can do. You know the social media for what they are now. It is not true. His Excellency hasn’t gone anywhere,” he had said.
Presumption Atiku’s travel to US
In the meantime, quoting one Kunle Abiola a tertiary institution teacher, Gbajabiamila Tunde Afeez, said: “On Atiku’s trip to the US, I presume Atiku may have traveled to the US under the umbrella of the diplomatic immunity of Saraki’s official delegation.
“It is possible that the trip was listed as an official trip of the Senate President of Nigeria, and the delegates to accompany him included Atiku.
“Otherwise, why would the Nigerian senate president be there on a trip with Atiku. This trip was taken solely for the purpose of removing the cloud of imminent arrest and prosecution from Atiku if he traveled to the US.
“Anyone
that knows the working of diplomacy will realize that the US will not
selectively arrest Atiku or any other member of the Saraki’s delegation on this
trip for as long as the tag of legislative delegation from Nigeria covers him.
“This gimmick will only work on the gullible and uninformed. What we are asking
from Atiku is to travel to the US as a private citizen.
“He needs to take this trip on his own without any government of Nigeria official who is covered by diplomatic immunity.”
Some of the respondents, who spoke on the Atiku’s announcement, have called for calm as the last of the “suspicious” trip was yet to be heard.
