Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has criticised President Bola Tinubu over his recent visit to Plateau State, alleging that the president failed to engage directly with victims of the violence and instead limited his presence to the airport.
Mr Atiku, in a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, described the visit as a “troubling indication of detachment” from the plight of Nigerians affected by insecurity.
He said it was “shocking and deeply insensitive” that days after the killings of innocent citizens, the president’s “on-the-spot assessment” did not extend beyond the vicinity of his aircraft at the airport.
According to the former vice president, the president neither visited affected communities nor met with grieving families or injured victims receiving treatment in hospitals.
He further alleged that the visit appeared to have been hurriedly curtailed to enable the president to proceed to Lagos for the Easter holidays, a move he said reflected poor prioritisation in the face of national tragedy.
“At a time when families are mourning, the visit was reduced to a brief stop at the foot of his aircraft, far removed from the pain of the victims,” Atiku stated.
He also criticised what he described as the conversion of the visit into a political engagement, claiming that the president met with party loyalists in Jos rather than engaging directly with victims.
“This is not leadership; it is indifference dressed as protocol,” he said.
Mr Atiku drew parallels with a previous visit by the president to Benue State in June 2025, alleging that a similar pattern was observed when the president did not visit the epicentre of attacks in Yelwata.
“The repetition of this pattern is no longer accidental; it is now a consistent and troubling habit,” he added.
The former vice president further claimed that no concrete policy direction or decisive security intervention was announced during the Plateau visit, raising concerns about the government’s response to rising insecurity.
He also faulted reports that some residents were transported from parts of Jos to the airport to receive the president, describing the move as an attempt to stage-manage the visit.
“At a time of deep grief, such actions reduce genuine human tragedy to a choreographed spectacle,” he said.
Mr Atiku questioned the administration’s commitment to addressing insecurity, insisting that Nigerians expect more than symbolic visits.
“Nigerians are not asking for ceremonial appearances. They demand a government that can secure lives and property,” he said.
He maintained that until the administration shifts from what he described as “optics” to decisive, people-centred action, such visits would remain disconnected from the realities faced by citizens.
