A former chieftain of Nigeria’s ruling party has written directly to United States President Donald Trump, asking him and other world leaders to stop what he calls a plot to intimidate, arrest or detain former Vice President Atiku Abubakar before the 2027 election.
Comrade Timi Frank, former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), made the appeal in an open letter dated Monday, October 19, 2026.
He addressed it to Trump, the United Nations, the African Union (AU), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom .
Frank said reports of plans to undermine Atiku’s participation in the electoral process require urgent and independent investigation.
“These allegations must be independently and urgently investigated. Given their gravity, however, they cannot be dismissed or ignored until it’s too late to prevent harm,” he said .
Atiku, who served as vice president from 1999 to 2007, has run for president six times. He is now the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), though a faction of the party has publicly rejected him .
The EFCC Question
Frank focused much of his letter on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the agency that investigates financial crimes in Nigeria.
He raised concerns that the EFCC could be used to initiate proceedings against Atiku, leading to his arrest and prolonged detention during the campaign.
However, Frank said he is not asking for special treatment for the former vice president.
“The concern is not that Atiku Abubakar should be placed above the law. The concern is that the law must never be placed at the service of political persecution,” he said .
He also questioned whether anti-corruption laws are applied selectively. According to Frank, public trust in the EFCC depends on its willingness to investigate allegations impartially, regardless of political ties.
“If the government expects Nigerians to trust its anti-corruption institutions, those institutions must demonstrate that justice is neither partisan nor selective,” he said .
The EFCC has previously denied being partisan. In January 2026, the commission said politicians were recruiting people to attack its credibility ahead of the 2027 elections, and insisted it would pursue corruption allegations without fear or favour .
Election Credibility and Wike’s Comments
Frank also asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies and the judiciary to act impartially. He called for independent investigations into allegations of campaign restrictions and political intimidation.
He referred to public statements by Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Wike said in October 2026 that President Bola Tinubu would win the 2027 election on the first ballot.
“I have not seen any likelihood of a run-off,” Wike said during a media chat in Abuja .
Frank warned that such statements could make Nigerians believe the result has already been decided.
“No political party or public official has the authority to predetermine the will of the Nigerian people. Elections must be won through the ballot, not through intimidation, institutional manipulation, or declarations that suggest the outcome has been settled in advance,” he said .
The 2027 presidential election is scheduled for January 16, 2027, according to INEC's revised timetable. Campaigns began on August 19, 2026 .
A Call for Preventive Diplomacy
Frank, who also serves as Ambassador to the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) for East Africa and the Middle East, urged the international community to send election observers to Nigeria.
He said they should watch for political violence, voter intimidation, the conduct of security agencies and the transparency of the process.
He stressed that his appeal is not about choosing Nigeria’s next leader.
“I’m not asking the United States or any foreign government to determine who should govern Nigeria. That decision belongs exclusively to the Nigerian people. I’m asking the international community to help ensure that Nigerians retain the freedom to make that decision without fear, coercion, or unlawful interference,” he said .
Frank warned that electoral injustice could increase public distrust and threaten stability across West Africa.
He called on the Nigerian government to give credible assurances about the safety of Atiku and other opposition figures. “The world mustn’t wait for a tragedy before it acts,” he said .
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