Atiku blasts Tinubu over Plateau visit, calls response to killings “insensitive”

• Atiku Abubakar criticised President Tinubu’s condolence visit to Plateau State, calling it insensitive and inadequate
• He claimed the President failed to visit affected communities or victims, limiting his presence to the airport
• Atiku accused the President of turning a solemn visit into a political event with party loyalists

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has criticised President Bola Tinubu over his condolence visit to Plateau State, describing it as a troubling sign of a growing disconnect between leadership and the realities faced by Nigerians.

In a statement issued on Thursday, April 2, in Abuja by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku expressed concern over the President’s response to the recent killings in parts of Plateau State. He argued that the visit lacked the empathy and urgency the situation demanded.

The former presidential candidate said the incident reflected “a disturbing and unacceptable approach to national tragedy.”

He stated, “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 criticised what he described as misplaced priorities, adding, “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.”

He accused the President of politicising what should have been a solemn moment, saying, “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.”

According to Atiku, the Plateau visit reflects a recurring pattern in the administration’s handling of national tragedies.

He cited a previous condolence visit to Benue State in June 2025, which he claimed similarly avoided the worst-hit communities.

He added, “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.”

Continuing his criticism, Atiku said, “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.”

The remarks followed President Tinubu’s visit to Plateau State after Sunday’s deadly attacks in Jos, particularly in the Angwan Rukuba area, where at least 27 people were reported killed.

During the visit, the President met with a grieving mother whose emotional reaction had gone viral after she was seen clutching the lifeless body of her son and other victims.

Addressing her directly, Tinubu acknowledged her loss and assured affected families of government support, noting that no compensation could replace the lives lost.

Speaking through his spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, the President described the attacks as “barbaric and cowardly” and pledged that those responsible would be brought to justice.

Tinubu was received in Jos by key officials, including the APC National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang, and other senior government figures.