The All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council has rejected an allegation that the Federal Government is planning to assassinate former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the African Democratic Congress presidential candidate, and has asked security agencies to question the man who made the claim. The council's spokesperson, Dele Alake, who is also Minister of Solid Minerals, issued the denial in a statement on Tuesday, according to Punch Newspapers.
The allegation came from Timi Frank, a member of the African Democratic Congress, in an open letter addressed to United States President Donald Trump and other international leaders on Monday. According to Punch Newspapers, Frank said he was concerned by reports of plans to intimidate, arrest, detain or otherwise obstruct Atiku's participation in the coming election, and he also raised fears about threats to the former vice president's life.
Why it matters
The exchange lands in the middle of a campaign season in which accusations between rival camps are becoming more frequent. The council's decision to refer the matter to security agencies raises the possibility that a political dispute could become a formal investigation. It also puts the conduct of the police and the Department of State Services under scrutiny at a time when opposition parties are watching closely for signs of bias.
Council demands evidence and denies withdrawal of security
In the statement, the campaign council said the seriousness of the claim required proof. It urged security agencies to summon Frank so he could back up the allegation, and it asked him to hand over any information he holds that could support a prompt inquiry. The council added that any threat to a person's life deserves serious attention regardless of the person's political ties.
The council stated plainly that neither the Presidency nor the APC campaign council had any part in a plan to kill Atiku or any other opposition figure. It also pushed back on the claim that Atiku's security detail had been taken away, calling that account entirely untrue. According to the council, the former vice president is protected by both the police and the Department of State Services.
The council further said President Bola Tinubu had recently instructed security agencies to strengthen protection for all presidential, vice-presidential, governorship and deputy governorship candidates nationwide. It said Atiku's protection had never been reduced, noting that as a former vice president he receives two layers of state-funded security, and that the President had increased his protection as a candidate ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Tinubu's opposition record cited as proof of tolerance
The campaign council argued that Tinubu's political history shows he accepts opposition as part of democratic life. It recalled that he spent 16 years as a leading opposition figure and helped rally opposition forces to remove the Peoples Democratic Party from power in 2015. The council described that record as evidence of his commitment to a democracy it said is now 27 years old.
In the council's view, Frank's allegation is the kind of agitation intended to raise political temperatures. It said several opposition figures, Frank included, have formed a habit of writing open letters and tagging foreign leaders and international organisations in social media posts to attract attention they have not earned. The council predicted that as the campaign intensifies, politicians and their supporters will keep making extreme statements and flimsy accusations to gain an edge.
The council closed by asking parties, candidates and their backers to speak responsibly and to keep their campaigns peaceful and centred on the issues that affect Nigerians, rather than on personal attacks and claims that cannot be backed up.
What to watch
The next development will be whether security agencies act on the council's request and invite Frank for questioning, and whether he produces evidence to support his allegation.
