Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has criticized President Bola Tinubu for attending a social event in Jos, Plateau State, while residents of the region continue to suffer from deadly attacks by terrorists and bandits.
President Tinubu was in Plateau on Saturday to attend the funeral of the mother of the All-Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda.
In a statement issued later that night, Atiku condemned the president’s visit, describing it as a sign that the plight of ordinary Nigerians is not a priority for his administration.
“With large swathes of the country still under siege from unrelenting insecurity and thousands of innocent lives lost, it is deeply unfortunate that President Bola Tinubu has not, for once, found it worthy to visit any of the affected states to commiserate with the grieving citizens,” Atiku said.
The former vice president argued that Tinubu’s presence in Plateau one of the most terrorized states in the North Central was not to show solidarity with victims but to participate in a political event.
“It is a sad reflection of priorities and a glaring mockery of leadership that while families in Plateau continue to bury their loved ones, President Tinubu chose to grace a political funeral rather than stand with the people in their darkest hour,” Atiku lamented.
He accused both Tinubu and the APC leadership of displaying a “heartless disregard” for compassion and empathy, despite widespread violence across Benue, Niger, Kwara, and other states in the region.
Recalling Tinubu’s previous visit to Benue State in June, Atiku noted that the president failed to visit Yelewata, the epicenter of brutal killings, choosing instead to stay within the safety of Makurdi, the state capital.
“The president turned his back on the people of Yelewata, whose tears and blood still stain the soil,” he said.
Atiku expressed disappointment that Tinubu’s trip to Plateau was not to console the bereaved but to celebrate with party elites.
“The message could not be clearer: this is a President who would rather feast than feel a leader who finds pleasure where the people find pain,” he declared.
He concluded by warning that Nigerians are watching and will remember the president’s actions in their moments of grief.
