Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar criticized President Bola Tinubu’s condolence visit to Plateau State on Thursday, calling it a disturbing illustration of a widening divide between leadership and ordinary Nigerians.
In a statement issued in Abuja by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku expressed grave worry about the President’s response to the deaths in areas of Plateau, claiming that the visit lacked the empathy and urgency warranted by the catastrophe.
The African Democratic Congress leader emphasized that the events in Plateau revealed “a disturbing and unacceptable approach to national tragedy.”
He said, “It is both shocking and deeply insensitive that several days after the gruesome killings of innocent citizens, the President’s so-called ‘on-the-spot assessment’ was reduced to a brief stop at the foot of his aircraft, never extending beyond the airport, never reaching the grieving communities, and never touching the pain of the victims.
“Even more troubling is the impression that this fleeting visit was hurriedly curtailed to allow the President to proceed to Lagos for the Easter holidays, a decision that reflects a deeply troubling prioritisation in the face of national grief.
“While families continue to mourn those slaughtered on Palm Sunday, the President chose to convert what ought to have been a solemn visit into a political spectacle, meeting party loyalists in Jos under the thin guise of official engagement. This is not leadership; it is indifference dressed as protocol.”
The President’s handling of the Plateau visit reflects a recurring pattern of insensitive and politically driven responses to national tragedies.
He cited a similar condolence visit to Benue State in June 2025, which avoided the worst-hit community and turned into a political gathering, arguing that the repetition suggests a consistent approach rather than an isolated lapse.
“In Plateau, the President neither visited the bereaved families nor the injured receiving treatment in hospitals. He offered no concrete policy direction, no decisive security intervention, and no reassurance that such horrors would not recur.
“Instead, he staged a meet-and-greet within the confines of the airport, surrounded by politicians, traditional rulers, and party operatives—far removed from the anguish of the people. This is not only inappropriate; it is shameful. A leader who cannot stand with his people in their darkest hour cannot convincingly claim to be fighting for their safety,” he stated.
Atiku’s words come just hours after President Tinubu visited Plateau State in the aftermath of last Sunday’s devastating attacks in Jos, notably in the Angwan Rukuba region, where at least 28 people were confirmed dead.
During the visit, the President spoke with a bereaved mother, whose agony had gone viral after she was seen cradling the lifeless body of her son and other victims of the assaults.
Tinubu addressed her by name, acknowledging her loss and assuring impacted families of government support, emphasizing that no recompense could completely replace lost lives.
Speaking through his spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, the President condemned the incidents as “barbaric and cowardly,” warning that those involved would be held accountable.
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Nentawe Yilwatda, Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang, and other top government officials greeted the President upon his arrival in Jos.
