The Federal government has asked the United States government to think
carefully before granting the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku
Abubakar, a visa in order create the impression of endorsing him for the
2019 election.Atiku who has been accused of corruption and investigated
by the United States government, has reportedly been barred from
entering the US for many years. Recall that the Director-General of the
Atiku Presidential Campaign Orgsanisation (APCO), Gbenga Daniel, in a
recent interview, said Atiku has received signal from the US government
to apply for visa which would be granted. Read here.Reacting to this
developmet, Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, at a
press briefing in Abuja yesterday November 29th, said although the U.S.
has the prerogative of whom to issue visa, it should be mindful of the
timing, in order not to give the impression that Atiku has been endorsed
by the U.S. government.“We understand and appreciate the fact that it
is the prerogative of the U.S. to grant a visa to anyone who
applies. However, we want the U.S. to be neutral and be wary of taking
any decision that will give the impression that they are favouring or
endorsing one candidate over the other. Impression must not be created
that the U.S. government is endorsing one particular candidate over the
other.I am sure you will all recall the Jefferson’s case and the cold
90,000 U.S. dollar in fridge. We are not unaware that Atiku has engaged
the services of some lobbyists to persuade the U.S. to issue (a) visa
to him. Our position is that if the former vice president is seeking the
U.S. visa we have no problem about it.However, we want the U.S.
government not to create the impression that it is endorsing one
candidate over the other,’’ he said. Granting Atiku visa now would imply you have endorsed him- FG tells US government
The Federal government has asked the United States government to think
carefully before granting the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku
Abubakar, a visa in order create the impression of endorsing him for the
2019 election.Atiku who has been accused of corruption and investigated
by the United States government, has reportedly been barred from
entering the US for many years. Recall that the Director-General of the
Atiku Presidential Campaign Orgsanisation (APCO), Gbenga Daniel, in a
recent interview, said Atiku has received signal from the US government
to apply for visa which would be granted. Read here.Reacting to this
developmet, Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, at a
press briefing in Abuja yesterday November 29th, said although the U.S.
has the prerogative of whom to issue visa, it should be mindful of the
timing, in order not to give the impression that Atiku has been endorsed
by the U.S. government.“We understand and appreciate the fact that it
is the prerogative of the U.S. to grant a visa to anyone who
applies. However, we want the U.S. to be neutral and be wary of taking
any decision that will give the impression that they are favouring or
endorsing one candidate over the other. Impression must not be created
that the U.S. government is endorsing one particular candidate over the
other.I am sure you will all recall the Jefferson’s case and the cold
90,000 U.S. dollar in fridge. We are not unaware that Atiku has engaged
the services of some lobbyists to persuade the U.S. to issue (a) visa
to him. Our position is that if the former vice president is seeking the
U.S. visa we have no problem about it.However, we want the U.S.
government not to create the impression that it is endorsing one
candidate over the other,’’ he said. 
