SAN FRANCISCO, June 19, (THEWILL) – Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has debunked media reports that he will be in the United States later this month at a trade and investment gathering in Washington D.C. later this month.
Atiku had been listed as one of the speakers at the conference known as the Africa Trade and Investment Global Summit (ATIGS) scheduled from June 24-26.
THEWILL had in May 2018 contacted Atiku’s spokesperson, Mazi Paul Ibe, but he was unable to confirm nor debunk the newst at that time.
However, Ibe has stated that there is no such invitation to the former vice president, insisting that Atiku is not aware of such invitation wondering how they managed to put his name on their list.
Meanwhile, the report that the former vice president would be visiting the U.S. made people draw conclusions that the possible visa restrictions placed against him, thanks to a contract scandal involving Nigerian and American officials in the mid-2000s, may have been relaxed.
Despite claims that he was involved in the scandal, Atiku, who has declared his intention to run for the presidency in 2019, has continued to maintain his innocence.
He recently acknowledged that he has difficulties visiting the U.S., but said he should not be blamed for the dilemma saying the Nigerian Constitution does not require that a citizen must be able to enter the U.S. to be eligible for elective office.
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