The All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council has rejected claims that the Nigerian government is planning to assassinate former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. Atiku is the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The council called the allegation by Timi Frank, a member of ADC and former APC deputy national publicity secretary, as serious and challenged him to provide proof to security agencies.
In a statement released on Tuesday and signed by its spokesperson, Dele Alake, the APC campaign council asked security agencies to invite Mr Frank to back up his claim. They said any real threat to life should be taken seriously, no matter the political side.
"We completely reject the claim that the presidency of Nigeria or the APC Campaign Council is involved in any plot to assassinate former Vice President Atiku Abubakar or any opposition figure," Mr Alake stated.
The statement also denied claims that security personnel assigned to Atiku had been removed.
Mr Frank, in an open letter dated 19 October, called for US President Donald Trump and other world leaders to step in regarding what he referred to as threats to Atiku's life and political freedom as the 2027 elections approach.
He accused the federal government of potentially using state resources to intimidate, arrest, detain, or even assassinate the ADC candidate. He demanded an independent investigation into the alleged threats.
Furthermore, he called on the United States, the United Nations, the African Union, the Economic Community of West African States, the European Union, and the United Kingdom to engage with the Nigerian government to ensure the safety of Atiku and other opposition figures.
However, Mr Alake stated that the former vice president is still protected by the Nigeria Police Force and the State Security Service.
He mentioned that President Bola Tinubu recently instructed security agencies to boost and enhance protection for presidential, vice-presidential, governorship, and deputy governorship candidates ahead of the 2027 elections.
"The security around the ADC presidential candidate has never been compromised," the statement noted.
Mr Alake added that as a former vice president, Atiku benefits from two levels of state-funded security and that Mr Tinubu has increased his security detail in preparation for the 2027 elections.
He pointed out that Mr Tinubu understands that opposition politics is important to Nigeria's democracy, recalling his own time in opposition before the APC won against the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2015 elections.
The statement accused Mr Frank of making claims that could stir up political tension before the elections.
"Mr Frank’s claim is typical opposition noise meant to heat up the political atmosphere," Mr Alake stated.
He claimed that Mr Frank and other opposition figures often write open letters and tag foreign leaders and international bodies on social media to get attention.
Mr Alake warned that as the 2027 campaign season heats up, politicians and their supporters are likely to make provocative claims for political gain.
He urged all political parties, candidates, and their supporters to stick to the truth and make responsible statements, avoiding comments that could create unrest.
"Let our political competition be peaceful, lawful, and focused on the real issues that matter to Nigerians, not character attacks or wild, unfounded claims," he said.
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