Atiku Arrives America www.atiku.us Nigeria

•   Holds talks with US officials
•  US Senate condemns effort to politicise security and
  law enforcement agencies, calls for credible election in
  Nigeria

Adedayo
Akinwale in Abuja and Martins Ifijeh in
Lagos

The intense
lobby by the federal government to get the United States to deny
the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),
Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, visa eventually collapsed Thursday as the
main opposition party’s torch bearer landed at Washington Dulles
International Airport last night.

He was
received by his associates and the Diaspora supporters.

Lai Mohammed

The Minister
of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, had at the hint of
the US granting Atiku visa last year, cautioned the Americans not
to contemplate the gesture as it might give the impression that the
foreign power is supportive of the opposition party’s
candidate.

For the
federal government, he said that might mean interference in the
internal affairs of Nigeria as the general election was a few
months away then.

Atiku’s visit
to the US, an apparent diplomatic and political blow to the All
Progressive Congress’ President Muhammadu Buhari, would appear to
have undermined a major campaign plank of the ruling party that had
made a heavy weather of the inability of the former vice president
to secure visa since leaving office in 2007.

Rain began to
beat the federal government and the APC when Atiku’s former boss
and president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, mended fences with him
towards the end of last year and promised to help Atiku regain
power.

Atiku’s
eventual receipt of the visa, diplomatic sources told THISDAY last
night, had not only the imprint of Obasanjo but also indicated loss
of confidence in the Buhari administration by the US.

Confirming
the visit Thursday, Atiku’s media aide, Mr. Paul Ibe, said in a
statement that his boss arrived the US at 22.20 hours (14.20 hours
Washington DC time).

According to
him, the former vice president was accompanied by the Director
General of his campaign and Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki,
and former governor of Ogun State, Chief Gbenga Daniel, and would
meet with US government officials.

Ibe said
Atiku on Wednesday met with the business community in Lagos at an
interactive session to unveil his plans to get Nigeria working
again.

According to
him, “Thursday morning, he left Abuja accompanied by the DG of PDP
Presidential Campaign Organisation and Senate President, Sen.
Bukola Saraki for the United States.

 “Atiku will in the course of his trip hold meetings with
US government officials, the business community and the Nigerian
community. He will return to the country on Saturday.”

Sources close
to the visit told THISDAY last night that Atiku had informal
meetings with business groups and some state officials, shortly
after arrival and would be meeting with Congress and State
Department officials Friday.

Among others,
Atiku is slated to meet later today with Chairman, Senate Committee
on Africa, Senator Jeff Flake, and the Assistant Secretary of State
for Africa, Ambassador Tibor Nagy.

US Senate
Condemns Effort to Politicise Security and Law Enforcement
Agencies

Meanwhile,
the United States Senate has warned the federal government against
using security agents to fight perceived political opponents during
the general election.

This is even
as it cautioned against vote buying, saying only credible,
transparent and safe general election would further consolidate the
democratic gains achieved by the country since transition from
military to civilian rule.

In its new
Senate resolution introduced by a ranking member of the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Bob Menendez, Thursday, it
said while it was supporting democratic processes in the country,
the Nigerian government must take necessary steps to facilitate
elections that are credible, transparent and peaceful.

Menendez said
the US Senate has also observed that successive elections in
Nigeria have featured varying degrees of violence, adding that
there have been deeply concerning instances of hate speech in
Nigeria by members of both the ruling coalition and the opposition
inciting supporters to ethnic violence to gain electoral advantage,
intimidate electoral rivals or suppress voter turnout.

He said, “We
also observed that during the Ekiti and Osun gubernatorial
elections in July 2018 and September 2018 respectively, there were
concerning incidents in which some elements of Nigeria’s security
agencies displayed partisanship and lack of objectivity, which
risks escalating tensions within the country.”

Nigeria’s
presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for
February 16, 2019, while the gubernatorial and state assembly
elections are scheduled for March 2, 2019.

Menendez, who
introduced the resolution, said, “I, along with a bipartisan group
of senators, am introducing this resolution to let the Nigerian
people know that the United States Senate is watching the conduct
of all actors participating in the February elections.

“The 2015
elections were a watershed in Nigeria’s democratic evolution,
resulting in the first peaceful transfer of power between political
parties in Nigerian history. Nigerians rightfully expect this
year’s elections to further consolidate those gains.

“I am calling
on all participants – including the candidates, the security forces
and political party activists -to do their utmost to ensure that
the elections are peaceful, and meet Nigerian, African, and
international standards for the conduct of credible democratic
elections,” he added.

He added that
the conduct of these elections would have a significant impact on
the United States-Nigeria bilateral relationship for years to come,
stressing that he stands with the people of Nigeria in their
aspirations for a peaceful, democratic election process and an
outcome that truly reflects the will of the people.

Among the
senate resolutions on the general election in Nigeria are that it
condemns in strongest terms the use of hate speech and incitement
to violence, and refrain from any rhetoric or action that seeks to
demonise or delegitimise opponents, sow division among Nigerians,
or otherwise inflame tensions

He called on
the government to refrain from deploying security forces in
partisan manner and ensure that security services maintain the
highest level of professionalism and impartiality in facilitating
the electoral process, enable accredited observers and journalists
to perform their work, and protect the rights of citizens to
exercise their votes freely.