Former Vice-President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has condemned the alleged attack on Edo State-based comedian Osagie Daniel Idedia, popularly known as Porkupyne, reportedly over his political views and refusal to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Atiku called on security agencies to investigate the incident, identify those responsible and ensure that anyone found culpable is brought to justice.

The comedian was reportedly attacked on Friday night, October 23, 2026, in Benin City, Edo State. He sustained serious injuries and was taken to hospital, where he was reported to be receiving treatment.

The incident attracted public attention after a video showing the comedian lying on a hospital bed with visible injuries circulated on social media on Saturday.

In a statement shared on his X account on Saturday, Atiku described the assault as politically motivated, alleging that Porkupyne was targeted because of his support for the ADC presidential candidate and his criticism of the Edo State Government.

“I condemn in the strongest possible terms the brutal attack on comedian Osagie Daniel Idedia (aka Porkupyne), in Benin City, Edo State,” Atiku said.

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He alleged that the comedian was attacked because he supported his political ambition and demanded good governance and accountability in Edo State.

Atiku also accused President Tinubu, Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo and the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) of creating an environment in which opposition supporters could be intimidated.

He challenged Okpebholo to explain the circumstances surrounding the incident and demonstrate that his administration would not protect anyone responsible for political violence.

The former vice-president urged the police to investigate possible political involvement in the assault and establish whether anyone sponsored or facilitated it.

He also called on Amnesty International and foreign diplomatic missions in Nigeria to monitor the treatment of opposition supporters, independently document alleged politically motivated attacks and demand accountability as the country approaches the 2027 general elections.

Atiku maintained that Nigerians should be free to support any political party or candidate without fear of intimidation or physical assault.

He demanded justice for Porkupyne and called for measures to protect citizens exercising their right to political choice and peaceful dissent.

The attack also drew condemnation from comedian Gbadamosi Jonathan, popularly known as MC Edo Pikin, who expressed concern over Porkupyne’s condition in a video shared on social media.

Meanwhile, the Edo State Police Command said it had begun investigating the incident.

The command’s spokesperson, ASP Eno Ikoedem, said Commissioner of Police Patrick Daaor had ordered an immediate and thorough investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the assault, identify those involved and ensure that anyone found responsible faced the law.

The police condemned violence and assured the public that the matter would be investigated.

However, the alleged political motive behind the attack has not been independently established, and the police have not publicly confirmed who carried out the assault or whether it was connected to the comedian’s political views.

The Edo State Government had not publicly responded to Atiku’s allegations at the time of the latest reports.

The incident has renewed concerns about political tolerance and the safety of citizens expressing dissent as political activities gather momentum ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Sly Ezeokenwa, has said the South-East must align with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and other regions to strengthen its political influence and improve its chances of producing Nigeria’s president in the future.

Ezeokenwa argued that supporting Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027 would serve the strategic interests of the South-East, insisting that the region could not secure the presidency without building alliances beyond its geographical boundaries.

The APGA chairman made the position known while defending the party’s decision to adopt Tinubu as its preferred presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.

According to him, the South-East must reconsider its political strategy and establish stronger relationships with the federal government and other geopolitical zones rather than remain isolated from national political calculations.

Ezeokenwa maintained that the region’s long-term ambition of producing a Nigerian president would require political negotiations, cooperation and strategic partnerships with other parts of the country.

He cited voter registration figures released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), arguing that the South-East’s share of the national electorate was insufficient to independently deliver a presidential victory for a candidate from the region.

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“The South-East as a whole cannot, by its own, make someone the president without the broader coalition of other regions in the country,” he said.

The APGA chairman described his party’s position as an attempt to communicate what he considered the political realities facing the region, regardless of whether the argument was popular among its people.

He also maintained that the presidency should remain in the South for another four years through Tinubu, arguing that this would preserve the informal power-sharing arrangement between northern and southern Nigeria.

Ezeokenwa said the arrangement, which he traced to political understandings among the founders of the Peoples Democratic Party before the beginning of the Fourth Republic in 1999, had influenced presidential succession and power rotation in the country.

He argued that supporting Tinubu for another term would allow the South to complete its expected period in power before the presidency returns to the North.

The APGA chairman further claimed that the South-East had been marginalised in national political calculations since 2015, insisting that closer cooperation with the federal government could help the region regain political relevance.

He said the party believed that supporting Tinubu’s re-election would create an opportunity for the South-East to participate more effectively in national decision-making and negotiate for greater inclusion in the country’s political structure.

Ezeokenwa’s position is consistent with APGA’s earlier declaration that it would support Tinubu in 2027 rather than field its own presidential candidate.

The party has maintained that its decision is based on strategic political interests and ideological alignment, while insisting that its support for Tinubu does not mean it has merged with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo, who belongs to APGA, has also defended the strategy, arguing that supporting a southern president in 2027 could help build trust among political groups and strengthen the prospects of an eventual Igbo presidency.

Soludo’s inclusion in the APC presidential campaign council as the coordinator for Anambra State has further highlighted the growing political cooperation between APGA and the federal government ahead of the 2027 election.

The debate over the South-East’s political direction is expected to remain a significant issue as parties and political leaders begin positioning themselves for the next presidential contest.