APC rejects alleged plot to assassinate Atiku and challenges Timi Frank to provide evidence

APC rejects alleged plot to assassinate Atiku and challenges Timi Frank to provide evidence

By Gabriel Kekong

Abuja (Core Reporters) – The All Progressives Congress, APC Presidential Campaign Council, has rejected allegations of a plot to assassinate former Vice President and 2027 presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, challenging the party chief, Timi Frank, to provide evidence to support his claim.

The council described the allegation as serious and urged security agencies to invite Frank for questioning, stressing that any credible threat to life must be investigated, regardless of political affiliation.

In a statement released on Tuesday, October 20, 2026 and signed by its spokesperson, Dele Alake, the council categorically denied that the Presidency or the APC Presidential Campaign Council was involved in any plot to assassinate Atiku or any other opposition figure.

He also rejected allegations that security personnel assigned to the former vice president had been withdrawn, insisting that his security measures remained intact.

According to the council, Atiku continues to enjoy protection from the police and the Department of State Services (DSS), adding that President Bola Tinubu has directed security agencies to strengthen protection for presidential and vice-presidential candidates, as well as candidates for governor and deputy governor, ahead of the 2027 general elections.

“Security around the ADC presidential candidate has never been compromised,” the statement read, adding that Atiku, as a former vice president, enjoys two levels of state-funded security protection.

The council further said that Tinubu had increased security protection for Atiku in his capacity as a presidential candidate ahead of the 2027 elections.

Calling on Frank to cooperate with security agencies, the APC electoral council said he should provide any information he had that could help investigators establish the facts surrounding the allegations.

“Any credible threat to life must be treated seriously, regardless of political affiliation,” the statement added.

The council defended Tinubu’s democratic credentials, arguing that the president recognizes opposition politics as an essential component of Nigeria’s 27-year-old democracy.

He recalled Tinubu’s role in opposition politics before the APC defeated the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2015 general elections, describing him as a long-time supporter of political competition.

However, the council accused Frank and other opposition figures of making inflammatory statements and unfounded accusations to gain public attention and gain political advantage.

He also criticized the practice of publishing open letters and tagging foreign leaders and international organizations in social media posts, arguing that some opposition figures use such tactics to draw attention to themselves.

The Council warned that as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 general elections, candidates, political parties and their supporters must exercise restraint and avoid statements likely to increase political tension.

He urged political actors to focus on issues affecting Nigerians rather than what he described as defamation and baseless accusations.

The statement reaffirmed the Council’s position that political competition should remain peaceful, legitimate and issue-oriented.

However, the Council’s denial does not in itself establish whether Frank’s claim is true or false. Any evidence provided, along with an independent assessment by relevant security agencies, would be necessary to determine the credibility of the claim.