2027: Ex-APC Chieftain Timi Frank Tells Tinubu to Withdraw from Presidential Race, Gives Reason

• Timi Frank, a former APC spokesperson, called on President Tinubu to drop his 2027 re-election bid following a public protest against him in Abuja
• Tinubu was reportedly booed by protesters outside Shehu Shagari Mosque in Area 1, Garki, with some tearing down his campaign posters nearby
• Frank warned that political associates assuring Tinubu of victory in the FCT were shielding him from the true mood of Nigerians

Abuja, FCT - Former All Progressives Congress (APC) Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Timi Frank, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to withdraw from the 2027 presidential race, saying the backlash the president purportedly faced after Friday prayers in Abuja is a clear sign that Nigerians have had enough.

Tinubu was reportedly met with boos from protesters outside the Shehu Shagari Mosque in Area 1, Garki, Abuja on Friday, November 13. A video that circulated online showed some individuals pulling down and destroying his campaign posters and billboards in parts of the Area 1 district. Frank, while condemning the choice of a religious venue for the protest and commending the President's security detail for keeping the situation from escalating, said the event carried a message that could not be dismissed.

Legit.ng notes that the presidency has denied that President Tinubu's convoy came under attack from stone-throwing youths after he attended the Friday prayers. O'tega Ogra, the President's Senior Special Assistant on Digital Engagement, Strategy and New Media, took to X on Friday, November 13, to dispute the accounts circulating online, calling the videos misleading and linking them to opposition actors.

"The rejection was total and unmistakable. No Nigerian president has been embarrassed like this publicly," Frank said. He added that if Tinubu chose to remain in the race and lost, he should be ready to concede defeat the way former President Goodluck Jonathan did.

2027 Elections: Frank Warns Against Political Bubble

Frank expressed deep concern about what he sees as a gap between the assurances Tinubu is receiving from allies and the reality of public sentiment on the ground. He pointed specifically to FCT Minister Nyesom Wike's pledge of 80 per cent of Abuja's votes, and Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo's vow to deliver 2.5 million votes from Edo State, describing both promises as unrealistic.

"What happened in the FCT last Friday showed that political assurances and promises are not necessarily a reflection of the reality on the ground," Frank said. "Those telling him to continue and assuring him that he will win the next election are merely deceiving him."

He also urged Tinubu to take note of the large crowds that opposition figures, including former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and former Anambra state governor Peter Obi, draw without financial inducements. Frank alleged that some backing Tinubu's candidacy is driven more by anticipated benefits than genuine popular support.

Frank Calls on Tinubu to Secure His Legacy

Despite the sharp criticism, Frank said Tinubu could still leave office with his reputation intact by stepping aside voluntarily and guaranteeing a credible election process.

"President Tinubu still has an opportunity to make history and have his name written in gold," he said, insisting that Nigerians only want an election where their votes actually count.

Frank, who also serves as the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) Ambassador to East Africa and the Middle East, blamed economic hardship, unemployment, and rising insecurity for the growing public anger, arguing that a better-performing administration would not face the kind of pressure currently building against Tinubu.

"I am telling him the truth: his time is up. He should not waste time but take a bow and leave the 2027 presidential race," Frank said.

Ex-APC Chieftain Timi Frank Warns Tinubu, INEC Against Rigging

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Frank put President Tinubu and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on notice over the integrity of the 2027 general election, warning that Nigerians will not accept results they believe were manipulated.

He made the remarks in a statement issued in Abuja, where he raised concerns about reports that artificial intelligence had been used to generate fictitious names and photographs in the national voter register. He demanded that INEC investigate the claims, verify the entries in question, and offer a transparent account of how the register was compiled.

Source: Legit.ng