Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Timi Frank, has raised an alarm over a plot by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s presidency to assassinate former Vice President Atiku Abubakar ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Frank, in a statement on Tuesday, described the recent withdrawal of police officers attached to Atiku—despite his statutory entitlement as a former vice president—as suspicious and part of what he claims is a broader plan to expose the opposition leader to danger.
He said no administration since 2007 had ever interfered with Atiku’s security detail, adding that the timing of the withdrawal—amid heightened insecurity—raises serious concerns.
“The claim that security is being withdrawn from all VIPs is a smokescreen,” Frank alleged. “The real intention is to isolate Atiku ahead of the 2027 election. This action is deliberate, dangerous, and clearly targeted.”
Frank likened the development to troubling political practices in parts of Africa where incumbents, he said, deploy state machinery to intimidate, arrest, or eliminate opposition figures in order to retain power. He argued that Atiku’s outspoken criticism of the current administration may have influenced the decision.
He also challenged the government to demonstrate transparency by withdrawing police protection from the president’s family members, associates, and appointees if the directive is truly broad-based.
His allegations follow the Nigeria Police Force’s commencement of the withdrawal of 11,566 officers assigned to VIPs nationwide, in line with President Tinubu’s directive ordering a reduction of police personnel attached to individuals amid escalating security challenges.
The presidency has not responded directly to Frank’s claims, and the police maintain that the withdrawals are part of a nationwide reform of VIP security arrangements.
