Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s Thursday visit to Jos, the Plateau State capital, alleging that the president failed to visit the sites of recent killings and instead remained within the confines of the airport.
In a statement released on Thursday evening, Atiku’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, described the visit as a “choreographed spectacle” that prioritised political optics over genuine empathy for the victims of the Palm Sunday attacks.
The former Vice President expressed deep concern over what he termed a “pattern of detachment” from the hardships facing Nigerians.
He claimed the president’s assessment of the security situation was superficial and lacked the gravity required for a national tragedy.
“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,” the statement read.
Atiku further alleged that the visit was “hurriedly curtailed” to allow the president travel to Lagos for the Easter holidays, calling the move a “deeply troubling prioritisation in the face of national grief.”
He also condemned the treatment of the survivors and the bereaved. According to Atiku, rather than the president visiting hospitals or affected communities, the government transported victims to the airport to meet him.
“Even more disturbing is the government’s decision to transport grieving citizens from distant parts of Jos Municipal to the airport in Heipang near Barkin Ladi, merely to stage an appearance before the President.
“At a time when families are in deep mourning, such actions reduce genuine human tragedy to a choreographed spectacle—prioritising optics over empathy and dignity. This is not only inappropriate; it is shameful”, he declared.”
