Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been caught on tape allegedly admitting complicity regarding bribery and misappropriation of public funds.
Atiku’s former aide, Michael Achimugu, shared an audio, which has since gone viral, where the former vice-president allegedly admitted to have collected N100 million bribe from Joshua Dariye, a former Plateau State governor, which was paid directly to Marine Float, one of the three firms he registered.
Atiku, via the audio explained how he set up an ‘SPV -Special Purpose Vehicle’ to receive monies from corruption-related dealings.
Dariye, during his tenure as governor from 1999 to 2007, was found to have stolen N2 billion in public funds. He was found guilty of criminal misappropriation and criminal breach of trust.
“When the governor sent donations, he sent it to Marine Float. It stayed in Marine Float. One of the subscribers of Marine Float was Otunba Fasawe. That was where the N100 million went to. It did not go to Atiku Abubakar. It went to Marine Float. Marine Float was a special-purpose vehicle,” Atiku revealed in the phone recording.
The PDP candidate said the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had afterwards “very thoroughly” investigated Marine Float accounts but had still not “discovered anything” connecting him to the company’s fraudulent practices.
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He also described how he was in charge of establishing onshore shell companies to operate as a conduit for taking large sums of money from public works contracts for himself and former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Atiku said, “What happened was when we came into office and I advised the president against open corruption.
“I told him to give me three people you trust and I will prepare three companies in which they will be subscribers or rather the directors.
“So that if there is any contract that we give, they will act like consultants and they are given a fee. That fee is what we use to fund the party.”
In 2007, Atiku was accused by Nigerian senators of misusing more than $100 million (£51 million) in taxpayer money for personal gain and they suggested that Atiku be prosecuted for diverting funds to businesses he was associated with.
After former president Obasanjo, transmitted accusations made against Atiku by Nigeria’s anti-corruption agency, it was acknowledged in an investigative report that it concurred with the conclusion that Atiku had abetted in the transfer of $145 million from Nigerian government accounts to banks.
However, following the investigative panel’s research and conclusions, there was no effect to prosecute Atiku.
Listen To Leaked Audio: Atiku Allegedly Admits To Syphoning Billions Of Naira During Tenure As Vice-President
