The Former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar has accused President Bola Tinubu of not prioritizing ordinary Nigerians, due to his recent visit to Plateau state for merriment, rather than commiseration.
Atiku made this allegation in a statement issued and posted on his X handle on October 4, stating that the refusal of the President to visit various states experiencing insurgencies, to show commiseration is appalling.
Citing Plateau state insecurity, Atiku pointed that the President did not visit the state to show empathy, but to celebrate a social function under the protection of his party’s national chairman.
He stated, “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 the grieving citizens. Today, however, he suddenly remembered Plateau State- one of the most terrorized parts of the North Central, not to share in the people’s pain, but to attend a social event under the auspices of his party’s national chairman”.
Atiku described this act as a sad reflection of priorities and a glaring mockery of leadership, adding “From Benue to Niger and most recently Kwara, the entire North Central region has endured some of the most horrific waves of violence in recent history. Yet, not once has the APC-led government deemed it necessary to physically stand by the victims or console their families”.
He backed up his claims by mentioning the President’s visit to Benue State in June, where he never bothered to visit the focal point of the massacre, Yelewata. He noted, “he ended his trip in Makurdi, turning his back on the people whose tears and blood still stain the soil”.
Atiku further expressed his dissatisfaction towards the President’s actions, by pointing that the same thing is recurring in Plateau State, noting “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. Nigerians watching and they will remember”.
