Former APC chieftain, Timi Frank, has raised a serious alarm, accusing authorities of deliberately endangering former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. He claims the recent withdrawal of police operatives from Atiku's security detail is part of a sinister plot to assassinate the prominent opposition figure ahead of the 2027 general elections.
A Sudden and Suspicious Security Directive
The controversy stems from a directive issued by President Bola Tinubu on November 23, 2025. The order mandated the withdrawal of police officers assigned to protect VIPs across Nigeria. These officers were to be redeployed to focus on core policing duties. Following this instruction, personnel attached to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, former First Lady Aisha Buhari, and 17 other prominent individuals were ordered to return to base.
In a strongly-worded statement released on Tuesday, Timi Frank, the former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), labeled this action as sudden and malicious. He pointed out that no administration since 2007 has ever tampered with Atiku's security detail, despite his consistent role as a major opposition voice. "Why now? Why at a time when insecurity is at an all-time high across the country? This action clearly reveals an ulterior motive," Frank questioned.
Frank's Grave Allegations of a Political Witch-Hunt
Frank did not mince words, directly framing the security withdrawal as a premeditated attack. "This so-called blanket withdrawal is a cover-up. The real objective is to isolate and eliminate Atiku ahead of the 2027 election. The pattern is too obvious to ignore," he asserted. He emphasized that Atiku, by law, is entitled to police protection as a former Vice President, making the removal of his security at this critical juncture both deliberate and dangerous.
He further accused President Tinubu of replicating a disturbing trend seen in other parts of Africa, where incumbents use state apparatus to silence opponents. "President Tinubu is now following the disturbing trend in parts of Africa where incumbents use state power to silence their opponents through intimidation, arrest, detention, prosecution, and in extreme cases, elimination," Frank stated. He concluded that since Atiku has been vocal in criticizing the administration's failures, the security withdrawal is nothing but a political witch-hunt.
Ethnic Bias and Calls for Genuine Reform
Adding another layer to his accusations, Timi Frank alleged that President Tinubu has strategically appointed people from his own ethnic group, the Yoruba, into top security positions to "carry out dirty political jobs." He challenged the sincerity of the President's directive, stating that if the intention was genuine, Tinubu should also withdraw police personnel from the security details of his own family members, close friends, and political appointees.
Atiku Abubakar, who served as Vice President from 1999 to 2007, has contested the presidency several times since leaving office. Although he has not publicly declared his intention to run in 2027, widespread speculation suggests he will once again be a key contender. This context adds significant political weight to the current security controversy, painting it as a high-stakes maneuver in the battle for Aso Rock.
