President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed national security agencies to step up security cover for all presidential, vice-presidential, governorship, and deputy governorship candidates across political parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.
​The directive was made public in an official press statement released on Tuesday evening, October 20, 2026, at the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council Secretariat in Abuja, with widespread media dissemination following on Wednesday morning, October 21.
Speaking on behalf of the campaign council, Dele Alake, Spokesperson for the APC Presidential Campaign Council and Minister of Solid Minerals Development, confirmed that security heads have been mandated to reinforce and increase physical protection and operational surveillance for all prospective flagbearers to guarantee political stability and safety across the country.
​The executive order comes in the wake of political friction sparked by claims from political activist Timi Frank, a member of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), who alleged an attempt on the life of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and claimed that Atiku’s security detail had been withdrawn.
Categorically refuting the claims, Alake clarified that security detail attached to Atiku remains fully intact under the joint architecture of the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services (DSS).
Calling on law enforcement agencies to invite Frank to substantiate his claims, Alake emphasized that such grave allegations cannot be dismissed or ignored until it is too late to prevent harm.
​Addressing the political climate at the nation’s capital, the APC Presidential Campaign Council urged candidates, political parties, and public commentators to exercise utmost restraint and refrain from unverified statements that risk inflaming tensions.
Alake reaffirmed President Tinubu’s commitment to democratic norms, maintaining that political competition should remain strictly peaceful, lawful, and centered on substantive national issues rather than character assassination or wild, baseless accusations.
