How Atiku Paid N400m To Lobby For US Visa – BMO

A pro-Buhari group, the Buhari Media Organisation has allegedly revealed how the Peoples Democratic Party PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar hired a US lobbyist for millions of dollars to secure an American visa.

The group alleged that the PDP plans to pay Brian Ballard to “ostensibly lobby” Washington on behalf of its candidate ahead of the 2019 presidential elections.

Chairman and Secretary, Niyi Akinsiju and Cassidy Madueke of the group in a statement, said that entering visa would not however wipe out the corruption allegations levelled against Atiku over the years.

“Even eif Ballard who is believed to be President Trump’s friend convinces the US authorities to clear the path for Atiku to finally enter the US, it won’t clear the former Vice President of the corruption allegations levelled agaeunst him over the years, BMO said in its statement.

Continuing, the group said, “Nigerians are not prepared to easily forget how the PDP presidential candidate’s name featured in high profile sleaze probe ranging from that of the Petroleum Trust Development Fund PTDF to Siemens during his 8-year tenure as Vice President.

“Not even a close ally of Trump can wipe clean a slate of corruption that took years of intense begging for his former principal to reluctantly accept his apology but which he still wants him to seek the forgiveness of Nigerians.

“These are people that have been conditioned to see dollar rain as solutions to local credibility problems.

“Coming soon after they had shared wads of dollars among party delegates, they did not feel bad spending more to boost the economy of Dubai where they have been holding strategy sessions.

“The same people have signed a deal of $90,000 a month to secure an American visa for a morally challenged presidential candidate.”

Meanwhile, Kola Ologbondiyan, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, has countered this allegation while referring to it as “absolute nonsense and a lie from the pit of hell.”

Ologbondiyan said, “Our candidate is a global statesman that has been nationally and internationally acclaimed.

“After spending almost four years in office with nothing to show, all they are left with is character assassination, corruption, blame games, smear campaign, lies, propaganda and deception.

“Nigerians have moved beyond APC and its fabrications. They are no more interested in moonlight tales” , he said.