Blasphemy: After voter threats, Atiku retracts comment on Sokoto college murder

Atiku was blasted by Muslim northerners who threatened not to vote for him if he emerges as the Presidential candidate of PDP

Former Vice President and 2023 presidential hopeful, Atiku Abubakar has come under attack on social media for condemning the killing of a Christian female student, identified as, Deborah Samuel Yakubu, at Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto State.

Pulse recalls that the 200-level student was reportedly set ablaze by an angry mob of colleagues for allegedly blaspheming Prophet Muhammad, a development that has led to societal disorder in the school environments.

A gory image and video clip of the incident on Thursday, May 12, 2022, caused stirs on social media as Nigerians took sides based on religious beliefs and personal convictions.

Atiku, who is hoping to become next Nigeria’s president under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), had taken to Twitter to condemn the barbaric act, saying; “There cannot be a justification for such gruesome murder. Deborah Yakubu was murdered, and all those behind her death must be brought to justice. My condolences to her family and friends.”

The former Vice-President, however, came under a social attack as Muslim northerners threatened not to vote for him if he emerges the Presidential candidate of the PDP. They also promised to mobilise themselves against him.

Some of the critics of the former VP’s position on the matter called him unprinted names for not supporting the punishment for blasphemy as preached by Islam; a religion he identifies with.

Following this, conflicted Atiku first deleted the post he made on Facebook and about an hour later, removed Twitter version.

The former vice president’s actions have since earned him the derision of most Nigerians, who accused him of always chickening out when the going gets tough, an action they termed ‘unpresidential’.