‘Atiku should be arrested, extradited to US to face corruption charges’ —Ex aide, Afegbua

A former spokesman to ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Kassim Afegbua, says his former principal should not be contesting to become Nigeria’s president in 2023, but should rather be arrested and extradited to the United States to face corruption charges.

Afegbua, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and former Commissioner for Information in Edo State, in a statement on Monday, called on the US government to immediately invite Atiku for questioning over his alleged fraudulent activities when he was in government.

Afegbua who was at one time the spokesman for Atiku’s presidential campaign organization, urged the US to extradite the 2023 presidential hopeful to face corruption charges and made to face the full wrath of the law.

Anchoring his call on the interest of justice and the rule of law, Afegbua dared the former VP to visit the US and clear his name of all corruption charges rather than running for the Presidency.

The statement reads in part:

“The earlier Atiku Abubakar is made to face the full wrath of the law, the better for our anti-corruption crusade and the best for our fledgling democracy. Rather than contest to be president, Atiku should go to the United States and answer questions on his corruption charges.

“I am, therefore, using this opportunity to plead that the United States Government takes expedite action on this matter in the interest of the rule of law, justice and transparency.

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“The United States Congress report on past investigations into Atiku’s activities are too damning to be ignored. If we truly want to sustain the ethics of transparent leadership and positive governance, I am calling on the US Government to commence the process of inviting Atiku to the United States to face those charges without further delay.

“The entire report of the US Congress copiously indicted Abubakar on issues concerning money laundering. It will make judicious sense if the United States Government is able to treat this pending matter once and for all by way of extraditing the former Vice President to answer those lingering queries on financial impropriety,” he said.

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