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After Wednesday’s dramatic developments and revelations about his 2019 presidential ambition, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, faced queries and questions about his wealth, eligibility and acceptance for the top job.
He had disclosed that the All Progressives Congress (APC) which he worked passionately for to clinch victory in 2015 had sidelined him.
READ: I’ve been sidelined in APC – Atiku
With Atiku trending on Twitter, many Nigerians took to the microblogging platform to express their support and reservations to the Adamawa born politician’s presidential ambition which he had been nursing since 2011.
Some of the questions were about his wealth and investments:
“Atiku used looted funds to set up his companies”
A Twitter user, @adewoleade, alleged: “The companies u own were set up by looted funds. From 1999-2007”
Atiku replied by listing some of the companies he owned before becoming Vice President in 1999:
“1. NICOTES (now Intels) founded in 1989.
2. Prodeco, 1996
3. My farm, 1982.
4. ABTI schools, 1992
“His companies were not viable until he got to the corridors of power”
Not swayed by the list of companies Atiku churned out, @ola2all tweeted: “Above listed companies was not viable until u bcome VP. Only gullible w fall for ur tricks and sweet talk”.
Atiku said the military government tried to seize one of his companies because it was the biggest in the country at that time.
Intels was already Nigeria’s biggest indigenous oil & gas logistics firm before 1994. This is why military government tried to seize it.
“He owns Mikano Generators! Forget electricity if he becomes President”
“After I heard that Atiku is the owner of Mikano,it dawned on me that if he becomes president the whole Nigeria would be in pitch darkness”, @lzz_Korede tweeted
Atiku replied by saying he owns companies bigger than Mikano.
“Young friend, this is not true, but you tweet it all the same. I own bigger companies and they’re known publicly, why would I deny this one?”
READ ALSO: Atiku to set up animal feeds factory in Abuja
To verify Atiku’s claim that he has no hand in the generator company, an investigative report by New Telegraph revealed that the company is owned by a Syrian who nationalised in Nigeria.
The report reads: “Investigations however through dozens of official documents, revealed that Mikano Generators was initially incorporated as “Gala Construction Company Limited” on November 11, 1980. It was however changed to “Mikano International Limited” on February, 13, 1995. The company was incorporated by a Syrian National, who subsequently obtained Nigerian Citizenship on the November 17, 2006.
“The Company Address is Plot 34/35 Acme Road, Ogba. Ikeja, Lagos, with telephone numbers: 01 4602142, 4602140. The company’s share capital has been increased on several occasions and currently stands at One Billion (1,000,000,000) Ordinary Shares of 1Naira each. Mikano has consistently filed its Annual Returns and Audited Financial Report every year since its inception, the last one filed is for 2015, and shows substantial profits”.
ALSO READ: Obasanjo never wanted to hand over, I tackled him – Atiku
Below are other social media conversations about the ambition of the Waziri Adamawa:
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