Protesters Storm U.S. Embassy In Abuja Over Atiku Visa

A Forum of Non-Governmental Organisations in Nigeria (FONGON) on Wednesday, demonstrated at the United States of America Embassy in Abuja, asking it not to issue visa to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Presidential Candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

The placard-carrying protesters were stationed outside the embassy, while some of the inscriptions on their placards read: “U.S.A stay clear of Nigeria’s internal politics, No to issuance of politically motivated visa to Atiku.”

Reports had emerged some days back that the former vice president had finally been issued a visa to the United States.

Atiku has not been to the US in 13 years and had been severally denied visa to enter the country on moral grounds, stemming from allegations that he supported graft in the United States involving a former Congressman, William Jefferson, in 2004.

The investigators had videotaped Jefferson, who was the congressman representing Louisiana, receiving $100,000 worth of $100 bills which he claimed was meant for Atiku, to facilitate the award of contracts to two American telecommunication firms in Nigeria, but the former vice-president has consistently denied the allegation.

His political opponents had used his absence from the US not just to taunt but to discredit him.