Don’t Give Atiku Visa – Information Minister Tells US Government

The Federal Government of Nigeria has admonished the United State government not to play out the thought of granting the Presidential candidate of the People Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar visa into the US.

It said this is to avoid creating an impression that the US government is endorsing him for the 2019 election.

Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the Minister of Information and Culture, gave this admonition at an interactive session with media executives in Abuja on Thursday.

The minister said that the federal government was not oblivious of the move by the people democratic Party candidate, Atiku to lobby the US to grant his visa to visit the country.

He said while the U.S. has the prerogative of whom to issue visa, it should be mindful of the timing, in order not to give the impression that Atiku has been endorsed by the U.S. government.

“We understand and appreciate the fact that it is the prerogative of the U.S. to grant a visa to anyone who applies.

“However, we want the U.S. to be neutral and be wary of taking any decision that will give the impression that they are favouring or endorsing one candidate over the other

“Impression must not be created that the U.S. government is endorsing one particular candidate over the other,’’ he said.

Mohammed said that the government was aware of the move by the former Vice President to lobby the U.S. to lift the visa ban imposed on him.