Photos and videos of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate arriving the United States took over the social media on Thursday. The visit was of course a three-dimensional thing.
The former Vice President, apart from using the visit to correct the notion that he was a wanted man in the United States, would be meeting with US Government officials. He would also meet with members of the business community, with whom he would discuss ways of making the Nigerian economy more viable through the creation of more opportunities.
The PDP candidate will also meet with Nigerians community in Washington DC. He is thus using the visit to drum up international support for his presidential bid as well as harness some business opportunities in preparation for becoming President.
In an interview with BBC on Wednesday, Atiku had expressed confidence that he would win next month’s presidential election. Though he said he doubted if the election would be free, fair and credible, he called on the international community to help ensure the credibility of the electoral process.
Atiku arrived Washington DC with the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, who doubles as the Director-General of his presidential campaign on Thursday.
Findings revealed that Atiku kept the visit away from his media aides in order to give his opponents the satisfaction of making assumptions.
By the time the news of his arrival broke, some media organizations quoted his media aides as saying they were unaware he undertook any trip.
In no time, some organizations went on to dispel what they called rumours of Atiku in America.
The trip would not have generated much attention but for the issue raised by the former Vice President’s antagonists that he had a fraud case hanging on his neck in the United States. It became a campaign matter with many daring Atiku to visit to the US.
There were even protests that he should apply for American visa. The story then was that Atiku would be arrested if he ever set foot on American soil. By the time news filtered out that Atiku had approached the United States Embassy, it again became an issue as some protested. Those who had earlier dared him to set foot on American soil changed gear and asked the US Government to decline his visa application so that it would not appear that he had the support of the United States. They called on the American government to be ‘fair’ to all candidates.
What many believed would have been political suicide is fast proving to be an irrefutable evidence of courage.
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