Politics
Atiku Reportedly Paid $540,000 To Get Into US – American Journalist
Judd Legum, a journalist and former research director of the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign, says Atiku Abubakar paid as much as $540,000 to get his way into the US.
In his article titled “What does a $1.1 million lobbying contract buy in Trump’s Washington?” Legum said the Peoples Democratic Party’s deal with Brian Ballard, a top lobbyist with deep connections to the Trump administration, was instrumental to Atiku’s trip.
Atiku’s spokesman, Paul Ibe, did not picks call or reply messages sent to his phone to comment on the report.
In November 2018, We had reported that Atiku’s party, the PDP, signed a deal with Ballard to enhance US-Nigeria relations, with a focus to “maintaining political and security conditions free of intimidation and interference”.
“It shall be the Firm’s duty to consult with the Client and advocate on its behalf those issues the client deems necessary and appropriate before the US Federal government,” contract papers seen by TheCable read.
“Issues and objectives may include, but not be limited to, enhancement of US Nigerian relations; strengthening and advancing democratic values and the rule of law in Nigeria, with a special focus in the coming months on maintaining political and security conditions free of intimidation and interference in order to ensure the success and fairness of Nigeria’s national election for president in 2019.”
Atiku, the former vice-president of Nigeria, had not visited the US for 12 years and the leading opposition party mocked him for it.
Legum said “a former U.S. government official confirmed to Popular Information that Abubakar was formally barred from obtaining a visa pursuant to a presidential proclamation targeting corrupt foreign officials”.
He said the corruption allegations against Atiku are detailed in a 2010 bipartisan report by the U.S. Senate, “KEEPING FOREIGN CORRUPTION OUT OF THE UNITED STATES: FOUR CASE HISTORIES.”
He said Atiku was also implicated in the investigation of William Jefferson, the former Congressman who is serving a 13-year sentence for corruption, although the PDP candidate has repeatedly denied all allegations of corruption in the report and has never been charged for any criminal offence.
PRESIDENTIAL PROCLAMATION 7750
Before 2018, Atiku had spoken openly about his inability to secure a US visa.
He said in December 2017: “It is the sole prerogative of America to determine who they want in their country or not. I’m not running away from America. I applied, but wasn’t issued a visa.”
Legum added that Atiku’s inability to enter the US may be as a result of the Presidential Proclamation 7750 signed by President George Bush, which bans entry for current and former corrupt foreign officials — especially those whose corruption has a nexus in the country.
“The US government does not publicly disclose why individuals are denied visas. But a former government official who has seen the documentation confirmed to Popular Information that Abubakar, until very recently, was banned from obtaining a US visa under Proclamation 7750,” he wrote.
He said this led Atiku’s team into hiring Ballard, who chaired the Trump Victory Organization in Florida and “lobbied on behalf of the Trump Organization in the state for more than a decade.”
He said the contract required an immediate payment of $270,000 with another $270,000 due in late December 2018.
“A month later, Atiku is in the US — and back in Nigeria for a stronger campaign for the presidency,” Legum wrote.
“Now Abubakar is back in Nigeria, buoyed by his trip to the United States as his campaign enters its final days. His campaign slogan is Trumpian: ‘Let’s get Nigeria working again.’”
Politics
I cannot support Peter Obi again, says Doyin Okupe
Doyin Okupe, former director-general of the Labour Party (LP) presidential campaign in 2023, says he “cannot support” Peter Obi again.
Okupe spoke on Monday during an interview with Seun Okinbaloye on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
He was reacting to a viral clip of Obi commenting on how the country’s economic situation offers little succour to people in the south-west despite President Bola Tinubu being from the zone.
“Let us talk about what is happening today. Rice is about N100,000. We are not even sure where we are going to be. ‘It’s our turn’, ‘he is a Yoruba man’ — ask the people in Ogun, here is there any place you people buy bread cheaper?” Obi said in the viral clip.
The video generated mixed reactions on social media, with some supporting Obi’s comments while others criticised him.
Adding his voice to the criticism, Okupe described the former LP presidential candidate’s remark as an “insult” to people in the south-west.
He said Obi’s statement publicly brought down south-west people even though “eminent Yoruba people” supported him during his presidential bid in 2023.
“When Obi made that statement, it insulted us. I am a Yoruba man; I left everything and followed Obi.
“For the first time, Obasanjo left his circle of influence and deviated to support Obi,” Okupe said.
“I do not regret supporting Peter Obi. But now I cannot do it again. The reason why I did it was because we agreed that a southern president must emerge.
“I was approached that if a southern president must emerge, which zone must it come to? I said the south-east.
Politics
APC wins ALL 18 seats in Cross River LG elections
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has won all 18 chairmanship positions in the Cross River LG elections held on Saturday.
Ekong Boco, chairman of the Cross River State Electoral Commission (CRSEC) and the election’s returning officer, announced the results on Sunday at the commission’s headquarters in Calabar.
The APC won in Abi, Odukpani, Bakassi, Akpabuyo, Ogoja, Akamkpa, Bekwarra, Etung, Biase, Boki, Calabar Municipality, Obubra, Yakurr, Yala, Obanliku, Obudu, Ikom, and Calabar south LGAs.
The chairman of CRSEC issued certificates of return to the elected chairpersons.
Bassey Otu, the governor of Cross River, commended the winners, describing the elections as peaceful.
The governor expressed optimism that the new LG leaders would align with the state’s “people-first” agenda.
“We have a well-defined vision for the state, and we believe the new leadership at the local government level would understand that they must align with the state government’s agenda and exhibit unwavering dedication to realising good governance,” he said.
Nine opposition parties, including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party (LP), participated in the elections but did not field candidates across all 196 local council wards in the state’s 18 LGAs.
Politics
‘There is no longer a place for her’ — Onanuga says Betta Edu won’t be returning to Tinubu’s cabinet
Bayo Onanuga, special adviser on information and strategy to President Bola Tinubu, says Betta Edu has now left the federal cabinet for good.
Edu was minister of humanitarian affairs.
Onanuga spoke on Sunday during an interview with Channels Television.
On January 8, Tinubu suspended Edu after a memo surfaced wherein she asked Oluwatoyin Madein, accountant-general of the federation, to transfer N585 million to a private account.
The president also asked the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate the financial transactions of the humanitarian ministry.
After she was suspended, the former minister was grilled at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja.
Subsequently, the president suspended all programmes administered by the National Social Investment Programmes Agency (NSIPA) for six weeks, as part of the probe into alleged malfeasance in the management of the agency and its activities.
In April, the EFCC said it recovered N30 billion following investigation into the ministry’s activities, adding that 50 bank accounts were under probe.
There were appeals from certain quarters for the president to reconsider and recall Edu.
Although Edu vanished from public glare, she sent a condolence message to victims of the Jos building collapse in July using the ministry’s letterhead.
Last Wednesday, the president named Nentawe Yilwatda as Edu’s replacement during a cabinet reshuffle.
‘SHE’S GONE’
Onanuga was asked if Edu remains a minister since she was only suspended by the president.
The presidential aide said Edu is no longer a minister and that her portfolio has been handed to someone else.
“Betta Edu is gone. She was suspended in January, and this is October. She is gone. Her position has been taken over by somebody else… that is the man from Plateau state (Yilwatda),” he said.
“As far as this government is concerned, there is no longer a place for her in that cabinet.”
Asked about the outcome of the investigation on Edu, Onanuga said the EFCC is yet to make the details public.
“The EFCC has not shared whatever they have, but if you go by what the president has done, it shows that maybe the EFCC has submitted something that actually justifies that suspension,” he added.
“If we follow what the president has done, it means EFCC has revealed something that has formed the basis of the president’s action.”
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