Inside details have emerged about how former President Olusegun Obasanjo helped his deputy, former Vice President Alhaji Atiku Abubakar evade investigation on some corruption allegations levelled against him in 2006.
In a viral video on social media which has triggered mouthwatering reactions, Obasanjo was heard saying he stopped the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from probing Atiku who was the number two citizen of the country then.
The former President recalled how American authorities wrote a letter to him, listing the names of Nigerians to be investigated. Among the names listed to be investigated was Atiku.
While Obasanjo failed to reveal the allegations nailed against Atiku, he noted that the matter is the reason the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) cannot travel to USA.
The New Diplomat reports until January 17, 2019 when he visited Washington DC, U.S as the then presidential candidate of the PDP, Atiku had been unable to enter US prior that time. Reports have it that he has not also travelled to the US since the 2019 trip.
In the past, Atiku was reported to have ran into problem with U.S. authorities over a broadband contract award to iGate, an America company which Williams Jefferson, then U.S. federal lawamker from Louisiana, had interest in.
Jefferson was said to have used his political influence and friendship with Atiku to ensure that the contract went smoothly in Nigeria with alleged intentions to pay some kickbacks to Nigerian officials, including the former vice president.
Jefferson had revealed in a secretly recorded conversation with the FBI that Atiku stood to benefit up to $500,000 for helping him influence the broadband deal in Nigeria at the time.
Although Jefferson lost his representative seat and served jail term in America for the deal, Atiku was never prosecuted in Nigeria. It is also not clear if the former vice president was indicted in the U.S over the case.
Recounting the incident, Obasanjo said he did not allow Atiku to be investigated despite the fact that the American authorities placed him under radar.
Obasanjo’s words, “We got a letter from America in June 2006, listing a number of people to be investigated articles. Atiku was one of them. 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 me saying, Okay, if we get this letter from America, so be it.”
“And I could not in good conscience ask my number two to be investigated. But the Americans wrote and asked among others that he should be investigated and that we cannot rule out. At that time, politically I needed to carry but I don’t know whether he (Atiku) can go to America now, do you know?” He asked.
