Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, Timi Frank, has urged United States President Donald Trump to impose visa bans, asset freezes and financial restrictions on Nigerian officials found culpable of rigging the 2027 general elections.
Frank, in an open letter to Trump dated October 13, 2026, also called for sanctions against judges who knowingly validate fraudulent election results and security operatives who intimidate voters or facilitate electoral manipulation.
The political activist said the US should move beyond diplomatic statements and take preventive measures to ensure that Nigerians freely elect their leaders in 2027.
In the letter titled “No Mandate From Fraud: Election 2027,” Frank urged the Trump administration to adopt a policy that would deny normal diplomatic and economic engagement to individuals and governments linked to electoral fraud.
He called for a high-level US delegation to visit Nigeria and engage President Bola Tinubu, political leaders and electoral authorities ahead of the polls.
Frank warned that waiting until after disputed results had been declared could be too late to prevent political instability.
“The time to act is before the elections, not after the damage has been done,” he said.
He also questioned the composition of the Independent National Electoral Commission, alleging that the concentration of people from Tinubu’s ethnic group in key positions had raised concerns about the commission’s impartiality.
Frank called for scrutiny of INEC’s chairman, national commissioners and other senior officials, as well as the Inspector-General of Police and senior personnel of the Department of State Services, the armed forces and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
He insisted that anyone found to have manipulated election results should face individual consequences, regardless of political affiliation or official position.
“Security forces must be reminded that their duty is to the Nigerian Constitution and people, not to a political party,” he said.
Frank further urged Washington to work with European allies to pressure Nigerian authorities to guarantee a credible electoral process.
The activist linked electoral malpractice and poor governance to Nigeria’s economic difficulties and the growing number of citizens leaving the country in search of better opportunities.
He argued that credible elections could produce accountable leaders capable of tackling insecurity, creating jobs and improving living standards.
“Nigerians are not leaving Nigeria because they do not love their country. They are leaving because decades of rigged elections have produced leaders who destroy the economy, loot resources, and create insecurity,” he said.
“Border enforcement alone cannot solve this. We must address the cause at the source.”
Frank said a stable and democratically governed Nigeria would also serve American interests by strengthening cooperation in counterterrorism, energy development and regional security.
He urged Trump to reconsider what he described as business as usual in dealing with governments whose legitimacy was challenged by allegations of electoral fraud.
According to him, early diplomatic pressure could deter malpractice and protect the credibility of the 2027 elections.
“Nigeria is blessed with everything to succeed except leadership. Help Nigerians choose their leaders freely in 2027, and you will cut off a major source of immigration at its root,” he said.