The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has come under fire following an allegation levied against him by an Abuja-based firm, Legacy Logistics (LLC).
The LLC, in a letter issued on Thursday accused Atiku of reneging the agreement he entered with them in 2018 over the processing of a United States visa.
The logistics firm revealed that in October 2018, Atiku through his lawyer entered into an agreement with the company to process and procure US Visa, adding that the visa was processed, procured and handed over to the PDP presidential candidate as agreed, but the agreed sum of about $5.9million has allegedly not been paid.
“That you instructed your legal representative, Professor Maxwell Gidado, SAN and your advisor, Dr Samuel Cornelius to seek the services of our client to process and procure United States of America visa on your behalf,” the company said in the letter written by its law firm, Jurisperitus Associates.
“Consequent upon your instruction, a scope of service of agreement was entered into dated 15th October 2018. The service of our client was to provide base on the agreement were specified in the addendum 1 to the scope of service agreement.
“Our client diligently executed the agreement and you were successfully issued the United States of American visa which same was delivered to you.”
It would be recalled that Atiku, in 2018, secured a visa to the United States for the first time in 12 years after a reported travel ban due to corruption charges. His opposition had latched on to his inability to enter the US as a means of discrediting him before the trip.
His row with the US authorities began after the FBI investigated a bribery scandal involving William Jefferson, former US congressman, in 2004.
Atiku was allegedly involved in a bribery scandal involving a former US congressman William Jefferson, who is currently serving a 13-year sentence in jail. According to the FBI, $90,000 in cash found in Jefferson’s freezer was intended for Atiku.
Jefferson had told colleagues of his plans to bribe Atiku with as much as $500,000 in cash, in exchange for business favours in Nigeria.
However, Atiku has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. Also, neither he nor his wife is facing criminal charges in the United States.
