Atiku Acquires $2.5 Million Private Jet For Presidential Campaign …Lobbies Northern Elders, Groups

In preparation for the 2015 Presidential elections, former Vice
Presidential Atiku Abubakar is building a war chest and has allegedly
leased a $2.5 Million Jet for his campaign, several credible sources told
Pointblanknews.com.

Pointblanknews.com could not confirm which of the private Jet companies
between Hanger8, Kings Airlines, Top Brazz Aviation, Wings Aviation,
Overland Airways, Arik Air, Vistajet and Aero Contractors leased out its
jet to Atiku.

According to a Punch Newspaper findings, Nigerians, notably public office
holders and businessmen, spent about N29.7bn on charter flights in 2012.

The 50-Seater Jet according to one of the source close to the former Vice
President is to be used in touring States for consultations and campaigns
ahead of the Presidential elections.

The APC may pick its Presidential candidate from the North-East and Atiku
from Adamawa State is highly favored having allegedly received a tacit
endorsement from former Lagos State Governor, Ahmed Bola Tinubu.

Already, some Northern Politicians have been drafted to begin
consultations and mobilization of Northern elders to accept his candidacy.
Arewa Consultative Forum, the apex Northern group is said to be neck-deep
in plot to have Atiku.

Sources told Pointblanknews.com that Atiku is hinging his candidacy on the
premise that the North did not conclude its eight-year tenure, which was
terminated following the death of late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.

It was gathered that the former Vice president has also hired the services
of several consultants to help design and fashion out the best campaign
strategy to be adopted.

Sources told Pointblanknews.com that Atiku, a very wealthy Politician,
whose daily income from Intel and other businesses are said to be in high
millions, is not leaving any stone unturned in his quest to win the 2015
Presidential elections.

Atiku’s wealth is immeasurable. He served in the Nigeria Customs for 20
years retiring in 1989 as a Deputy Director. A close aide of the former
Vice President said he owns more than 180 homes in Yola, capital of
Adamawa State. His businesses are said to be in several areas such as: Oil
Services, Education, Real Estate and Agriculture.

A presentation made by the by the Chairman of the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission (EFCC) to the Nigerian Senate Ad Hoc Committee on the
Probe of the PTDF in 2007 said: “Atiku Abukakar is the Vice President of
Nigeria and he was the one overseeing the activities of the PTDF. He
inaugurated the Interim Management Committee of the Fund in September
2000.He played prominent roles in the approvals for release of PTDF funds
and their placement in two banks. “

“The VP had an outstanding interest in the placement of the PTDF funds in
these two banks. For one, even the $125 million for the implantation of
some specific projects was not utilized for that purpose, rather because
of their diversion to their placements in the two banks (TIB & ETB).
Prior to the placements of the PTDF funds, the Vice President held several
meetings with either the ES (Executive Secretary of the PTDF) alone and
sometime the ES and Mike Adenuga to discuss modalities regarding the
placement of the funds either in TIB or ETB. The placements were done at
the detriment of the Fund as they were made at interest rates below the
average CBN Minimum Rediscount Rate (MRR) even when he was strongly
advised against that.”

“The request for the release of the $20 million, was predicated on the
issue of the ongoing projects being executed by the Fund, whereas it was
not so. The funds were released again by the VP and were sent straight to
the same placement in TIB.”

“This second release according to reports was done without the knowledge
and approval of the President and the FEC, even though the President’s own
pattern of management of the Petroleum Resources ministry pointed to the
fact that both the VP and the President might have shared. As these funds
were hitting the two preferred banks, “loans” were packaged by TIB, even
without adequate collateral, for his long time friend and business
associate, Otunba Oluwole Johnson Haliru Fasawe through NDTV and Mofas.
In Mofas, one of the directors is Alhaji Adamu Abubakar, a son of the VP.
Through the VP’s name was not stated as a director of Marine Float,
evidence abounds that the account is controlled by him. First, the VP
admitted he paid N30million for the property from that account; secondly,
most of the beneficiaries from the account are his friends, associates.

“Similarly, as the funds were hitting ETB, Otunba Mike Adenuga made
$20million deposit for Globacom license, the second national carrier. A
little scrutiny of the equity ownership structure of the company revealed
that Otunba Mike Adenuga lied about the ownership of the company.

“When the transfer of the $50million by PTDF from its account in UBA Plc
New York was made in ETB, Mike Adenuga gave the Vice President the sum of
N322million (i.e. N300m on 27/11/02 & N22 on 06/03/03) through his Marine
Float account domiciled in Bank PHB Plc through his aides- Akinyera and
Ajibade. N21 million was paid to the VP through a draft raised in the
name of Umar Pariya, his Personal Assistant.”

“The Vice President held several meeting with the US Congressman Williams
J. Jefferson both in Nigeria and abroad in relation to business ventures,
which included NDTV and Rosecom.net, an ISP. When the business
relationship between NDTV and iGate collapsed, his assistance was sought
to extinguish the outstanding approximately $2million already paid by
NDTV. Even though he denied assistance on extinguishing the amount, he
accepted, conveying a letter from US Congressman Jefferson to the
Honorable Minister of Communication Chief Cornelius Adebayo in relation
with iGate and Rosecom.net business venture.”

“The VP’s business interest in NDTV was confirmed when he made an initial
deposit of N30million in January 1, 2003 from his Marine Float account in
Bank PHB Plc for the purchase of the N200million property being used as
NDTV Head Office. His interest also influenced the placement of PTDF
funds in TIB from where Otunba Fasawe obtained “loan” and completed the
payment of N170million for the property at the Wuse. The VP’s interest in
NDTV is further buttressed by the fact that he even acted as a referee to
Otunba Fasawe for the sourcing of the licensing of NDTV in Nigeria
Communication Commission (NCC). Investigation also revealed that the Vice
President severally met contractors of NDTV at Jada, his hometown on his
interest in the company.”

The EFCC’s report on the probe of the PTDF which heavily indicted the
former Vice president and the Halliburton Scandal which accused Atiku’s
Intel of bribing Nigerian officials with $50 Million have all remained in
the dustbin of the investigating agencies.