The All Progressives Congress, APC, Presidential Campaign Council has dismissed as false an allegation by Timi Frank, a member of the African Democratic Congress that the Federal Government is plotting to assassinate former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the ADC’s presidential candidate.
Dele Alake, spokesperson of the campaign council, said in a statement that the allegation was grave and must be substantiated, urging security agencies to invite Mr Frank over the claim.
“This is a grave allegation that Mr Frank must prove,” the statement said. “We categorically 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 urged Mr Frank not to hesitate to provide any information in his possession that would enable a prompt investigation, adding that “any credible threat to life must be treated seriously, irrespective of political affiliation.”
‘Security withdrawal totally false’
The campaign council also described as “totally false” reports that security personnel attached to the former vice president had been withdrawn, saying Mr Atiku enjoys two levels of state-funded protection as a former Vice President.
According to the statement, the former vice president is “well protected by the police and the Department of State Security,” and President Bola Tinubu had recently directed security agencies to reinforce and increase protection for all presidential, vice-presidential, governorship and deputy governorship candidates across the country ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“The security around the ADC Presidential candidate has never been compromised,” the statement added.
‘Rabble-rousing’
The council dismissed Mr Frank’s allegation as “typical opposition rabble-rousing meant to heat the polity,” and accused opposition figures of making it “a habit” to write open letters and tag foreign leaders and international organisations on social media “to draw undeserved attention to themselves.”
It said President Tinubu, “as a statesman and an avowed democrat,” recognised opposition politics as an essential part of Nigeria’s 27-year-old democracy, having spent 16 years as “the face of opposition” and galvanised the movement that defeated the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the governing party in 2015.
As the campaign season deepens, the council urged candidates, political parties and supporters to be factual and responsible in public statements, warning against utterances capable of triggering “avoidable tension in the polity.”
It said political competition should be “peaceful, lawful, and focused on the big issues that matter to Nigerians, not character assassination or wild, baseless allegations.”
Crediblenewsng.com
