Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has slammed President Bola Tinubu’s recent Plateau State visit, saying he failed to engage with violence victims and only stayed at the airport.
Atiku described the visit as a “troubling indication of detachment” from Nigerians affected by insecurity.
He expressed disappointment that Tinubu didn’t meet with internally displaced persons or visit affected communities, calling it a “photo opportunity”.
Mr Atiku, in a statement issued by his spokesman, Phrank Shaibu, 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.
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.Politics
“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.
He 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.
