Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has criticised the handling of President Bola Tinubu’s recent visit to Plateau State, describing it as a troubling example of what he called detachment from the suffering of Nigerians.
Atiku said the president’s visit, which followed the killing of several residents in parts of the state, failed to demonstrate empathy for the victims and their families.
In a statement issued on Thursday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku expressed concern over the nature of the president’s “on-the-spot assessment.”
According to the former vice president, the visit did not go beyond the airport and did not involve direct engagement with affected communities.
“The events in Plateau State have once again exposed a disturbing and unacceptable approach to national tragedy,” Atiku 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.”
Atiku further claimed that the visit appeared hurried so the president could travel to Lagos for the Easter holidays, a development he said reflected misplaced priorities.
He accused the president of turning what should have been a solemn condolence visit into what he described as a political engagement with party supporters in Jos.
“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,” he stated.
“This is not leadership; it is indifference dressed as protocol.”
The former vice president also compared the development with Tinubu’s visit to Benue State in June 2025, following a deadly attack in the state.
Atiku claimed the president had similarly avoided visiting the epicentre of the violence during that trip.
“The repetition of this pattern is no longer accidental; it is now a consistent and troubling habit,” he said.
Atiku also alleged that the president did not meet with bereaved families or victims receiving treatment in hospitals during the visit.
According to him, the administration failed to provide clear policy direction or concrete security measures to address the situation.
He criticised what he described as a gathering of political leaders and party loyalists at the airport instead of direct engagement with affected residents.
Atiku maintained that Nigerians expect more than symbolic visits in times of national tragedy.
“Nigerians are not asking for ceremonial appearances or fleeting sympathy visits. What they demand and deserve is a government that can secure lives and property,” he said.
“They do not need to see the President’s face; they need to feel the impact of his leadership.”
He urged the administration to prioritise decisive actions to address the country’s worsening security situation rather than what he described as symbolic gestures.
