Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, has raised a serious alarm over what he describes as a grand plot by the Presidency to assassinate former Vice President Atiku Abubakar ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Frank said the sudden withdrawal of all police personnel attached to Atiku, despite his statutory entitlement as a former Vice President, was not only suspicious but part of a wider scheme to expose him to danger.

MyNigeria reported that last week, President Bola Tinubu ordered the withdrawal of police officers assigned to protect VIPs. The decision may have affected Atiku.

Reacting, Frank, who is the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) Ambassador to East Africa and the Middle East, in a statement issued on Tuesday, said:

“No administration since 2007 has ever tampered with Atiku Abubakar’s security, despite his consistent role as a major opposition figure. Why now? Why at a time when insecurity is at an all-time high across the country? This action clearly reveals an ulterior motive.”

He stated that the claim that security was being withdrawn broadly from VIPs was a smokescreen, insisting that the main target is Atiku Abubakar.

“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. Atiku, by law, is entitled to police protection as a former Vice President. Removing his security at this critical time is deliberate and dangerous,” Frank said.

Frank warned that the move mirrors dangerous political trends across Africa, where incumbent leaders intimidate, arrest, detain, prosecute and, in extreme cases, eliminate opposition leaders to retain power.

“President Tinubu is now following the disturbing trend in parts of Africa where incumbents use state power to silence their opponents. Atiku has been very vocal in exposing the failures of this administration, and this withdrawal of security is nothing but political witch-hunt,” he declared.

The activist further alleged that the composition of the country’s security architecture, dominated by individuals loyal to the President, suggests an attempt to ensure that state institutions carry out political assignments without resistance.

“It is no coincidence that nearly all top security positions are held by people from the President’s ethnic group. They were appointed to carry out political dirty jobs, and this is one of them,” Frank who is a Senior Advisor to the Global Friendship City Association (GFCA), USA, declared.

Frank urged Nigerians and the international community, especially the United States, United Kingdom, African Union, and ECOWAS, to immediately take note of the development.

“We alert Nigerians and the international community. If anything happens to Atiku Abubakar, this government should be held responsible.

The pattern is the same used in communities where security agents are suddenly withdrawn before bandits strike. They are attempting to create room for something sinister,” he said.

He challenged the government to prove its claim of a general security withdrawal by also stripping the President’s family members, close associates and political appointees of their police orderlies and escorts.

“If this directive is truly nationwide, then let the President’s family members, friends and appointees also lose their security. They are also VIPs. But we know the truth: the main target is Atiku Abubakar, nobody else.”

Frank concluded by warning that democracy is being pushed to the brink, saying: “Nigeria is entering dangerous territory. Any attack on Atiku or any opposition leader will plunge this nation into crisis. The world must not wait until it happens.”