Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has arrived Washington D.C, U.S, putting an end to a 12-year deprivation of visa by the U.S government.
His row with the US authorities began after the FBI investigated a bribery scandal involving William Jefferson, former US congressman, in 2004.
Atiku was accused of demanding a bribe of $500,000 to facilitate the award of contracts to two American telecommunication firms in Nigeria.
The FBI had searched his residence in the posh neighbourhood of Potomac, Maryland, but no money was found.
The investigators had videotaped Jefferson, who was the congressman representing Louisiana, receiving $100,000 worth of $100 bills which he claimed was meant for Atiku, but the former vice-president has consistently denied the allegation.
Former president Olusegun Obasanjo was said to have been very instrumental in the process which made the US grant Atiku the visa. Atiku is expected to hold consultative forum with Nigerians in diaspora.
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