“Achimugu said he recorded their telephone conversation. In the alleged conversation, Atiku spoke on how he advised the then president Olusegun Obasanjo against ‘open corruption’, how he ‘prepared three companies’ for the purpose of SPV and the president gave him three persons he trusted to be subscribers of the companies.”
*Photo L-R: Atiku, Obasanjo*
A former aide to the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has alleged that his former boss was indicted over corruption.
The aide, Michael Achimugu cited specifically, a N100 million bribe given by a former governor of Plateau State, Joshua Dariye to his ex-boss.
He also disclosed how Atiku and former president Olusegun Obasanjo came up with the idea of Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) companies to channels funds.
In an affidavit deposed at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Achimugu said he is a media consultant and lives in Abuja.
Achimugu disclosed that Atiku, a former Vice President converted the monies donated to fund their party into his private use.
“That I later met Atiku Abubakar for further briefing on the issue and he further explained that the special Purpose Vehicles were what he used throughout his tenure as Vice-President to fund his private businesses and his family activities”, he disclosed.
In the affidavit he signed on December 2, 2022, the deponent said that between 2017 and 2022, he worked closely with Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, in media matters.
“That on or about the 13th of June 2021, there was an allegation of corruption against Atiku Abubakar regarding a N100 million bribe given to Atiku Abubakar by the former Governor of Plateau State, Joshua Dariye”, Achimugu said.
“That I sent an email to Atiku Abubakar to give me some explanation to reply the allegation
“Atiku Abubakar sent an email to me that reads as follows: “The money was paid into an SPV for party funding and the directors of Marine Float was Otunba Fasewe, not Atiku.
“I then replied him as follows: “May I ask what an SPV is?”
“Atiku Abubakar responded as follows: “Special Purpose Vehicle. A company registered to carry out certain activities”.
He said to clarify this further, Atiku immediately called his phone at around 8:55pm that June 13, 2018.
Achimugu said he recorded their telephone conversation. In the alleged conversation, Atiku spoke on how he advised the then president Olusegun Obasanjo against ‘open corruption’, how he ‘prepared three companies’ for the purpose of SPV and the president gave him three persons he trusted to be subscribers of the companies.
The three people were Otunba Fasewe, Andy Uba and “You know the guy from Borno State who died in the plane crash”.
