Atiku Abubakar, the former Vice President, on Thursday criticized President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over his recent condolence visit to Plateau State, describing it as an “airport-only” appearance that failed to reach the communities affected by the latest killings.
In a statement issued through his media aide, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said the President’s visit to Jos did not go beyond the airport, accusing the Federal Government of reducing what should have been a solemn assessment of a national tragedy to what he called a choreographed political exercise.
According to the former vice president, several days after the Palm Sunday attacks that left multiple residents dead, Tinubu neither visited bereaved families nor met victims receiving treatment in the hospital.
He argued that the visit failed to reflect the gravity of the situation in Plateau, where residents have continued to demand stronger security intervention and concrete assurances from the Federal Government.
“This is not leadership; it is indifference presented as protocol,” Atiku said.
Atiku also alleged that the President’s stop in Jos appeared hurried, claiming it was cut short to allow Tinubu to proceed to Lagos for the Easter break.
He said the timing and structure of the visit raised serious questions about the administration’s priorities at a time families were still mourning victims of the attacks.
The former presidential candidate further accused the President of turning what should have been a condolence visit into a political engagement, alleging that the meeting at the airport involved politicians, traditional rulers and party loyalists rather than direct interaction with affected communities.
Drawing a comparison with an earlier condolence trip to Benue State in 2025, Atiku said the Plateau visit appeared to follow what he described as a recurring pattern.
He maintained that Nigerians are demanding more than symbolic appearances from political leaders, especially amid worsening insecurity in parts of the country.
“They do not need to see the President’s face; they need to feel the impact of his leadership,” he said.
The criticism comes barely hours after Tinubu announced fresh security measures for Plateau, including the planned deployment of 5,000 surveillance cameras across Jos as part of efforts to curb the cycle of violence in the state.
The criticism was first detailed in a report by The Guardian Nigeria, which quoted Atiku’s statement on the President’s Plateau visit. According to a report by The Guardian Nigeria, Atiku said the visit did not extend beyond the airport.
The Presidency has yet to respond to Atiku’s latest remarks officially.
