FORMER Vice President Atiku Abubakar has faulted President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s visit to Plateau State on Saturday, describing it as a glaring example of misplaced priorities and a lack of empathy for victims of insecurity across the North Central region.
In a statement personally signed by him and released in Abuja on October 4, 2025 made available to News Point Nigeria, Atiku accused the President of ignoring grieving Nigerians who have suffered violent attacks while choosing instead to attend a political funeral in Plateau under the auspices of the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman, Professor Nantawe Yilwatda.
Atiku lamented that since taking office, President Tinubu has failed to visit any state directly affected by banditry or terrorist attacks to commiserate with victims or their families.
“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.
He argued that Plateau, which has endured repeated waves of violent attacks in recent years, deserved presidential sympathy and solidarity not a political appearance at a funeral tied to party interests.
Describing Tinubu’s presence at the event as insensitive, the former Vice President said the visit amounted to a “mockery of leadership” and an insult to families still burying their loved ones.
“It is a sad reflection of priorities and a glaring mockery of leadership that while families in Plateau continue to bury their loved ones, President Tinubu chose to grace a political funeral rather than stand with the people in their darkest hour,” he said.
Atiku accused both Tinubu and the APC chairman of displaying “a heartless exhibition of disregard for empathy, compassion, and the dignity of human life.”
The former Vice President drew attention to recent waves of insecurity in Benue, Niger, and Kwara States, describing them as “the most horrific violence in recent history.”
He criticized the APC-led government for failing to show solidarity with the victims, recalling that even when Tinubu made a symbolic visit to Benue in June, he did not go to Yelewata, the epicentre of a massacre.
“Instead, he ended his trip comfortably in Makurdi, turning his back on the people whose tears and blood still stain the soil,” Atiku alleged.
Atiku said Tinubu’s decision to visit Plateau for political reasons while ignoring bereaved communities underscores his insensitivity to the plight of ordinary Nigerians.
“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 declared.
He warned that Nigerians were taking note of the administration’s actions and would not forget in the future.
“The Nigerian people are watching and they will remember,” Atiku concluded.