APC- PCC to ADC, others: Focus on big issues, not character assassination

The All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council (APC-PCC) has declared that there is no plot to assassinate the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, insisting that his security details were not withdrawn.

It called on the opposition to allow the political contest be dominated by peaceful, lawful, and focus on big issues that are of interest to the Nigerian populace, and not character assassination.

The council said the claim, made by a former deputy national publicity secretary of the APC, Timi Frank, was false and must be proved.

This is coming as a United States-based lobbying firm associated with Atiku expressed concern over the allegation, saying it intends to bring the matter to the attention of President Donald Trump’s administration and the US Congress.

In a post on X, published by Premium Times, the account @batten_von described reports alleging the assignation plot as troubling.

“Dr. Von Batten fully intends to bring these latest allegations against Nigerian President Bola Tinubu to the attention of the Trump Administration and Congress,” the post stated.

The account also warned of possible diplomatic consequences should any political assassination occur.

…It’s baseless, says APC Campaign team

However, dismissing the allegation in a strongly worded statement Tuesday in Abuja, the campaign spokesperson, Dele Alake, 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.

“This is a grave allegation that Mr Frank must prove. We thus urge security agencies to invite him to substantiate the allegation, given its gravity and the urgent need to preserve life,”

According to Alake, the former Vice President is well protected by the Police and the Department of State Security.

Contrary to the falsehood promoted by Frank, President Tinubu recently directed security agencies to reinforce and increase protection for all presidential, vice-presidential, governorship, and deputy governorship candidates across the country. 

He said: “The security around the ADC Presidential candidate has never been compromised. As a former Vice President of Nigeria, he enjoys two levels of state-funded security protection. President Tinubu has increased security protection for Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as a Presidential candidate ahead of the 2027 general elections. 

“President Bola Tinubu, as a statesman and an avowed democrat, recognises opposition politics as an essential part of our 27-year-old democracy. For 16 years in Nigeria, President Tinubu was the face of opposition, and he galvanised the opposition movement to defeat the Peoples Democratic Party as a governing party in Nigeria in 2015.” 

“Mr Frank’s claim is typical opposition rabble-rousing meant to heat the polity. Many opposition figures, including Timi Frank, have made it a habit to write open letters and tag foreign leaders and international organisations in social media posts to draw undeserved attention to themselves. 

“As we go deeper into the campaign season, politicians and supporters will continue to make outlandish statements and frivolous allegations to gain political advantage.

“However, we urge candidates, political parties, and supporters to be factual and responsible in public statements and avoid utterances that can trigger avoidable tension in the polity. Let our political competition be peaceful, lawful, and focused on the big issues that matter to Nigerians, not character assassination or wild, baseless allegations,” the statement further added.

…Yilwatda on multi-party support for Tinubu

In a related development, the APC National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda,  has said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Accord Party and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) are backing President Tinubu’s re-election campaign.

Yilwatda said this while fielding questions from State House correspondents after meeting with the president alongside the Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Senator Abdulaziz Yari, to brief him on preparations for Saturday’s campaign flag-off in Kaduna.

He said support from parties that had previously defeated the APC in elections demonstrated the widening political backing for Tinubu’s bid for a second term.

“If you look at what the party is doing now, the oppositions are with us. All political parties that have defeated us in any election are all with us; PDP is with us, APGA is with us, Accord Party with us. These are the only political parties that have defeated us, except APM, and they are all with us in this campaign.

“It shows that the entire Nigerian political cycle is Mr. President, and that’s what we’re doing now to ensure that we prepare for this grand flag off in Kaduna,” he said.

On preparations for the October 24 launch, Yilwatda said the party’s state structures and campaign committees were ready for the commencement of nationwide mobilisation.

“We’ll flag-off the campaign on Saturday, 24th of October, and as you can see, we’re together with the DG to brief Mr. President on the preparation for the flag-off.

“For now, everything is set; the preparation is on, the members are motivated, the states, the committees are ready, and everything that is supposed to be done has been done,” he said.

…Yari promises issue-based campaign

Speaking separately, the Campaign DG, Senator Yari, said the team would seek another mandate for Tinubu by presenting the administration’s record to Nigerians, with no resort to insults or personal attacks.

The former Zamfara state governor said the APC would make its case for continuity through the policies, programmes and accomplishments of the Federal Government.

“As a Council, what we say we are going to do, we are going to do a campaign with the records. A responsible campaign, no insults, no calling of names because there’s no name before us, but we have a record before us to show to Nigerians,” he said.

The lawmaker said the campaign would allow voters to examine the government’s performance and decide whether it deserved a second term.

“This is what our party did, this what our government did, so because of that, we are asking, pleading with Nigerians to look at this record carefully so that they give us a second chance for continuity,” added the APC-PCC DG.

The Kaduna flag-off follows the inauguration of the APC Presidential Campaign Council on October 14.

President Tinubu chairs the council with Vice President Kashim Shettima and Yilwatda serving as vice chairmen. Yari oversees its day-to-day campaign coordination as director-general.