Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has claimed that the government of the United States of America are backing his candidacy.
Mr Abubakar, a former vice president popularly known as Atiku stated this in an interview with the Voice of America.
The transcript was published by online news medium, Premium Times, who reported an aide of PDP candidate as furnishing it with the details.
The former number two citizen of Nigeria made his first entry into the U.S on Thursday evening, since he left office in 2007.
The visit has been viewed in some quarters as a proof that he was not wanted for alleged corruption in the country.
Atiku, the flag-bearer of the opposition PDP, is the major challenger of President Muhammadu Buhari who seeks re-election on the platform of the All Progressive Congress, (APC).
While reeling out why he is in the country, the opposition candidate told the news medium that he has been endorsed by the U.S government.
“Yes,” Atiku said while responding to the question on wether the United States Government were in support of his candidacy, adding that: “There is no doubt because the United State is ready to support any country that is practicing democracy.”
Before he journeyed to the U.S, the federal government had urged the Trump administration not to grant visa to the former vice president. The Buhari-led administration said doing so would mean they have endorsed him.
Atiku’s visit has rattled and nullified the campaign point of the APC who maintained that his inability to visit the U.S was because of he was declared wanted in a corruption case.
President Buhari in 2015, while he was opposing Goodluck Jonathan, then President, enjoyed the support of then United States during the reign of then ruling Barack Obama.
