ABUJA, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)-The 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s decision to travel to Plateau State on Saturday for the funeral of Mama Lydia Yilwatda, the mother of the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda.
Atiku faulted the President for attending a social event in the North Central state instead of visiting and consoling communities affected by ongoing security challenges.
In a post on his official X handle, he described the President’s visit to Plateau one of the regions most affected by violent attacks as “a sad reflection of priorities and a mockery of leadership.”
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He expressed disappointment that the President chose to attend a funeral linked to the APC chairman rather than commiserate with victims of the persistent violence and displacement across the area.
“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,” Atiku said.
The former Vice President alleged that the President’s decision to attend the event “under the auspices of his party’s national chairman” demonstrated a lack of empathy.
“Between the APC National Chairman and his President, what we witnessed today is a heartless exhibition of disregard for empathy, compassion, and the dignity of human life,” he added.
Atiku also accused the Tinubu administration of failing to stand with victims of violence in the North Central region, mentioning states such as Benue, Niger, and Kwara as examples of places repeatedly attacked without any direct presidential visit.
He recalled that during Tinubu’s visit to Benue in June, “he never bothered to set foot in Yelewata, the epicentre of the massacre,” accusing the President of prioritising comfort over compassion.
“Now again, he is in Plateau State, not to console the bereaved or reassure the broken, but to celebrate and make merry with his party elite while the people mourn.
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,” Atiku said.
He warned that Nigerians were observing the President’s actions closely, noting that “the people are watching, and they will remember.”
Earlier on Saturday, Tinubu attended the funeral service for Mama Lydia at the Church of Christ in Nations headquarters in Jos, Plateau State.
During the event, the President delivered a speech urging residents to shun religious and ethnic differences and embrace peace and unity.