ABUJA – As the 2027 presidential race begins to take shape, the ghost of the 2022 Deborah Samuel tragedy has returned to haunt former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, with Christian leaders and activists vowing that his “betrayal” of the slain student remains an unforgivable political sin.
The controversy centers on the brutal lynching of Deborah Samuel, a second-year student at the Shehu Shagari College of Education in Sokoto, who was stoned and burned to death by extremist students on May 12, 2022, over alleged blasphemy in a WhatsApp group.
The ‘Deleted Tweet’ Controversy
The core of the grievance against Atiku stems from his decision to delete a tweet condemning the murder. Shortly after the news broke, Atiku’s official handle had denounced the act as murder and called for justice. However, following a barrage of threats from extremists on social media who vowed to withdraw their votes, the tweet was deleted. Atiku later claimed the post was made without his “authorization.”
“By that single act, Atiku Abubakar chose his side,” a prominent Christian commentator stated this week. “He told Christians that if it ever came down to choosing between their lives and his political ambition, he would throw them into the fire.”
A Lingering Judicial Wound
The outrage is further fueled by the fact that the primary suspects in the gruesome killing walked free from the courts due to what was described as a “lack of diligent prosecution” by the police. Critics argue that neither the political class nor the religious leadership in the North did enough to ensure that the students who recorded themselves committing the act faced justice.
The incident is now being framed as a defining test of character for Atiku’s quest to lead a secular, multi-religious Nigeria. Activists argue that his “capitulation” to extremist pressure in 2022 makes him unfit to protect religious minorities.
2027 Implications
As Atiku prepares for a potential final run at the presidency, the “Blood of Deborah” narrative is being used as a rallying cry for Christian voters. “Atiku has spat in the face of the Church in Nigeria,” one activist remarked. “No real Christian will vote for him, regardless of any inducement. That day was an eye-opener that our lives mean nothing to him.”
The Atiku Media Office has previously defended the deletion as an administrative error, but the narrative of “complicity with extremism” continues to gain traction among Southern and Middle Belt voters.
With the memory of Deborah Samuel still fresh, the former Vice President faces a daunting task in convincing the Christian community that he can be a president for all Nigerians, regardless of their faith.
Will Atiku Abubakar issue a fresh, unreserved apology to the Christian community to heal this divide before the 2027 primaries?
