The PBAT Door-to-Door Movement 2027 has challenged former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to travel to the United States and address questions surrounding the corruption case involving former US Congressman William Jefferson.
The group, which is campaigning for the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, said Atiku should be prepared to face scrutiny over controversies surrounding his past as he seeks to return to the presidential race in the 2027 general elections.
In a statement issued by its National Coordinator, Comrade Sunday Adekanbi Asuku, FIMC, CMC, the movement said the issues linked to the Jefferson case stemmed from a US federal investigation and court proceedings, not mere political speculation.
Jefferson, a former Congressman from Louisiana, was convicted on corruption charges following a federal investigation into his financial and business dealings.
The group alleged that the proceedings raised questions involving Atiku, who was Nigeria’s vice president at the time, including an alleged $500,000 payment it said was linked to him.
It urged Atiku to explain the circumstances surrounding the allegations rather than allowing them to remain subjects of political controversy.
The movement also raised questions over a US Senate investigation into millions of dollars allegedly moved into the United States through financial arrangements involving Jennifer Douglas, Atiku’s former wife.
According to the group, the investigation examined offshore transactions and other financial dealings, including transactions it said were linked to Siemens.
The movement argued that the issues formed part of Atiku’s historical public record and should therefore be open to scrutiny.
It stressed, however, that raising the allegations did not amount to declaring Atiku guilty of any offence, but maintained that a politician seeking the presidency should be willing to answer questions about controversial aspects of his public record.
To underscore its challenge, the group offered to finance Atiku’s proposed trip to the United States if financial considerations were preventing him from travelling.
Asuku said the movement was prepared to pay for Atiku’s flight, accommodation and other travel expenses, including those of his aides, if he accepted the challenge and travelled to the US to address the issues being raised.
‘We are ready to foot his bill for the trip, even if it is for him to land in the US and spend just five hours. Let him just land in America. We are ready to pay for his flight and accommodation for him and all his aides if he cannot afford it,’ the statement said.
The group also urged Atiku to address other controversies associated with his political career, including issues surrounding the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) and the privatisation programme under former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
It said Nigerians should scrutinise the records of all presidential aspirants ahead of the 2027 election, including their achievements, experience, policy positions and controversies associated with their years in public office.
‘Leadership is not about choosing which parts of one’s history Nigerians should remember. It is about having the courage to confront the entire record, explain the difficult chapters and allow the people to make their judgment,’ the movement said.
The PBAT Door-to-Door Movement said it remained confident in its support for President Tinubu but offered to reconsider its political position if Atiku could convincingly address the issues it had raised.
‘We are a movement supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, but we are confident enough in our position to make this commitment: if Atiku can meet the challenge we have put before him and provide the clarity Nigerians deserve, we will reconsider our support and switch allegiance to him,’ it said.
The group consequently called on Atiku to respond to the challenge with facts and explanations rather than dismissing the issues as political attacks, insisting that anyone seeking the presidency must be prepared to face scrutiny over his public record.