Tinubu targeting Atiku with police escort withdrawal  —  Dele Momodu

The publisher of Ovation magazine, Dele Momodu, has accused President Bola Tinubu of using the recent directive withdrawing police escorts from VIPs as a political tool aimed at targeting former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

In a statement posted via his verified X account on Thursday, Momodu said he “immediately smelled a rat” when the escort withdrawal policy was announced, claiming that a “dummy list” was first circulated by presidential aides to gauge public reaction.

According to him, “Tinubu’s spin doctors released a dummy list of those affected by the sudden and thoughtless decision, in order to test the waters.

“They deliberately included most unlikely names like Tinubu’s hatchetman Nyesom Wike, Tinubu’s Chief campaigner in 2023 Aisha Buhari, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and others.”

Momodu said it quickly became clear to him that Atiku, who constitutionally retains security protection as a former vice president, was one of the administration’s “main targets.”

“I predicted correctly that the evil list will be disowned and denounced as fake within 24 hours, and it came to pass,” he said, adding that his position was based on his “deep knowledge of Tinubu’s antics, mindset and modus operandi.”

The media entrepreneur warned that the move could endanger prominent Nigerians and escalate insecurity, arguing that many VIPs legitimately require protection in a climate of increasing criminal activity.

“He is deliberately setting up the poor against the accomplished Nigerians who deserve maximum security,” Momodu said.

He described the decision as “dangerous,” “gravely unprecedented,” and “preposterously myopic.”

Momodu also argued that if the intention were genuine, the administration could have used the moment to create a model that allows wealthy Nigerians to fund expanded police recruitment.

According to him, “No nation can afford to voluntarily expose its private and productive sectors to bandits and kidnappers.”

Momodu further alleged that Tinubu was using state power to suppress opposition voices ahead of future political contests.

“Their next move is to ensure that the ATIKUs who can provide robust opposition to his ambition of a maximum rulership must be denied of security. Who will dare go out to campaign against him in this season of anomie,” he asked.

Concluding, he warned that the country was being led “to Golgotha,” insisting the policy was yet another example of the president “playing politics with everything.”