The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has been caught on camera stepping into the United States after 12 years, sparking some excitement on social media.

The last time he visited the country was in 2007 when he was the vice-president of Nigeria. He served under former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Mr Obasanjo accused Mr Abubakar of fraud while in office, and he was also linked to corruption charges filed in the U.S. The politician denied all allegations of wrongdoing.

He stayed away from America after the authorities began investigating a bribery scandal involving a former US congressman, William Jefferson.

Atiku was accused of demanding a bribe of $500,000 to facilitate the award of contracts to two American telecommunication firms in Nigeria, an allegation he denied.

His opponents had taunted him for staying away from the US but all that is now over.

On Thursday, he was accompanied by Senate President Bukola Saraki who is the director-general of his campaign; Uche Secondus, national chairman of the PDP and some key members of the opposition party.