Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has condemned the attack on Benin City-based comedian Osagie Daniel Idedia, popularly known as Porkupyne, who criticises the APC government.
Mr Abubakar, on Saturday, shared a video of brutalised Porkupyne lying on a hospital bed on social media and blamed the APC-led government in Edo State for what he called a politically motivated attack.
“I condemn in the strongest possible terms the brutal attack on comedian Osagie Daniel Idedia (aka Porkupyne), in Benin City, Edo State, and I state without equivocation that this was a politically motivated assault on a Nigerian citizen solely because he is my supporter and because he dared to demand good governance and accountability in Edo State,” Mr Abubakar said.
He added, “I hold Governor Monday Okpebholo @m_akpakomiza, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the APC leadership directly responsible for creating and tolerating a climate of impunity in which opposition supporters are beaten, maimed and terrorised.
“Governor Okpebholo must explain what happened to Porkupyne, stop hiding behind official silence and prove that his government is not shielding political thugs; President Tinubu and the APC must stop the brutalisation of my supporters and end the dictatorial arrogance of treating loyal opposition as enemies of the state.”
Mr Abubakar urged the international community and human rights organisations, including Amnesty International, to “monitor the treatment of opposition supporters, independently document politically motivated violence and demand accountability from the relevant authorities.”
He also called on security agencies to investigate the attack on Porkupyne “and expose whoever sponsored or facilitated this cowardly attack, because no Nigerian should be brutalised for refusing to support Tinubu, the APC or any governor, and no political party has the right to beat, maim or terrorise its way to power.”
The presidential hopeful further said, “APC must stop the brutalisation of my supporters now, and Governor Okpebholo and President Tinubu must demonstrate that their administrations will neither tolerate political violence nor shield anyone responsible for it.”
Edo State government is yet to make any statement on the allegation that its supporters attacked the comedian as of the time of filing this report.