Atiku Blasts Tinubu Over Plateau Visit, Accuses President of Ignoring Insecurity and Grieving Nigerians
Former Vice President and 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has strongly criticized President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for visiting Plateau State to attend a social event rather than consoling victims of persistent insecurity and violent attacks across the country.
In a statement personally signed by him on Saturday, Atiku described Tinubu’s visit as “a painful display of misplaced priorities” at a time when many Nigerians are mourning loved ones lost to banditry, terrorism, and communal violence.
Atiku: Tinubu Chooses Politics Over Empathy
Atiku lamented that President Tinubu has yet to visit any of the states ravaged by violent attacks since assuming office, describing this absence as “a heartless exhibition of disregard for empathy, compassion, and the dignity of human life.”
“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 grieving citizens,” Atiku said.
The former vice president argued that instead of visiting areas hit by killings, kidnappings, and displacement, Tinubu chose to appear at a funeral service in Jos, Plateau State — not to mourn with victims, but to honor the mother of APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda.
“Today, however, the President suddenly remembered Plateau State — one of the most terrorized parts of the North Central — not to share in the people’s pain, but to attend a social event under the auspices of his party’s national chairman,” Atiku added.
He went on to say that it was “a sad reflection of priorities and a glaring mockery of leadership” that while residents of Plateau continue to bury their loved ones, the president chose to attend what he described as “a political funeral.”
Criticism of Tinubu’s Leadership Style
Atiku stated that Tinubu’s actions reveal a leadership style “devoid of emotional intelligence and public sensitivity,” arguing that leaders must show compassion and presence during national tragedies.
“Between the APC National Chairman and his President, what we witnessed today is a heartless exhibition of disregard for empathy, compassion, and the dignity of human life,” Atiku stressed.
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He accused the administration of failing to show up in crisis-prone areas across the North Central states—including Benue, Niger, and Kwara—where thousands of people have lost their lives in recent months.
“From Benue to Niger, and most recently Kwara, the entire North Central region has endured some of the most horrific waves of violence in recent history. Yet, not once has the APC-led government deemed it necessary to physically stand by the victims or console their families,” he said.
Atiku further recalled that during Tinubu’s symbolic visit to Benue State in June, he avoided visiting Yelewata, one of the most affected communities, instead remaining in Makurdi “in comfort and detachment.”
‘A President Who Would Rather Feast Than Feel’
The former vice president accused President Tinubu of being more concerned with optics and political associations than genuine empathy.
“Now again, he is in Plateau State, not to console the bereaved or reassure the broken, but to celebrate and make merry with his party elite while the people mourn,” Atiku said.
He concluded that the president’s attitude reflects his governing philosophy — one that prioritizes “feasting over feeling.”
“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 said.
Atiku ended his statement with a warning that Nigerians are observing closely and will hold Tinubu accountable for his choices.
“The Nigerian people are watching — and they will remember,” he concluded.
Background
President Tinubu had on Saturday attended the funeral of Mama Lydia Yilwatda Goshwe, mother of APC National Chairman Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, at the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN) headquarters in Jos, Plateau State.
However, critics argued that his presence in Plateau presented an opportunity for the president to visit internally displaced persons or victims of attacks in the region, which has witnessed repeated killings, kidnappings, and destruction of farmlands by armed groups.
Plateau, Benue, and parts of Niger and Kwara have experienced persistent insecurity, forcing thousands of residents to flee their homes in recent months. Analysts believe Atiku’s remarks reflect growing frustration among opposition figures over what they describe as “Tinubu’s detachment from human suffering.”