The Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, has arrived in Washington, DC, the capital of United States of America, to participate in a business roundtable meeting.
The former vice-president, who was seen in the company of Senate President, Bukola Saraki, is scheduled to speak at the Chamber of Commerce in Washington DC on Friday, from 2:30 pm to 4 pm local time.
The private roundtable, to be hosted by the US Chamber of Commerce and the US Africa Business Centre, is going to hold at 1615 H Street, NW 20062.
The former vice-president also confirmed the news on his Twitter page on Thursday.
He wrote: “Just arrived Washington D.C for meeting with US government officials, Nigerians living in D.C metropolis and the business community. -AA”
Zebra News gathered that Atiku secretly flew out from Lagos on Wednesday night with most of his aides and associates taken unawares.
It was also gathered that Atiku was scheduled to be in Ogun state on Thursday morning but the event was cancelled.
Atiku‘s row with the US authorities began after the FBI investigated a bribery scandal involving William Jefferson, former US congressman, in 2004.
Atiku was accused of demanding a bribe of $500,000 to facilitate the award of contracts to two American telecommunication firms in Nigeria.
The FBI had searched his residence in the posh neighbourhood of Potomac, Maryland, but no money was found.
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, but the former vice-president has consistently denied the allegation.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo was said to have been very instrumental in the process which made the US grant Atiku the visa.
Atiku is expected to hold consultative forum with Nigerians in diaspora, TheCable initially reported.
Zebra News had reported in December 2018 that Atiku had been issued with a US visa for the first time in 13 years.
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