Atiku Slams Tinubu’s ‘10-Minute’ Airport Visit to Plateau

JOS — Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has launched a scathing critique of President Bola Tinubu’s Thursday visit to Plateau State, describing the trip as a “choreographed spectacle” that failed to offer genuine empathy to the victims of recent deadly attacks.

​In a strongly worded statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku alleged that the President’s “on-the-spot assessment” never actually left the confines of the Yakubu Gowon Airport in Heipang. The visit followed the Palm Sunday massacre in the Angwan Rukuba district and other areas, which left at least 28 people dead and scores injured.

​‘Detached Leadership’

​Atiku expressed deep concern over what he termed a “pattern of detachment” from the hardships facing Nigerians. He claimed that despite the gravity of the killings, the President’s engagement was reduced to a “brief stop at the foot of his aircraft,” failing to reach the grieving communities or hospitals where survivors are being treated.

​”It is both shocking and deeply insensitive that several days after the gruesome killings of innocent citizens, the President’s so-called assessment never extended beyond the airport,” the statement read.

ADVERTISEMENT

​Victims Transported for ‘Optics’

​The most damning of Atiku’s allegations involved the treatment of survivors. The former Vice President claimed that instead of the President visiting the affected areas to see the devastation firsthand, the government “transported grieving citizens” from distant parts of Jos Municipal to the airport merely to “stage an appearance.”

​”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,” Atiku declared, calling the move “shameful.”

​Easter Holidays vs. National Grief

​The opposition leader further alleged that the visit was “hurriedly curtailed” to allow President Tinubu to travel to Lagos for the Easter holidays. He described this as a “troubling prioritisation” of personal leisure over national grief.

​Drawing parallels to a June 2025 visit to Benue State—where the President allegedly avoided the epicenter of violence in Yelwata—Atiku argued that this represents a consistent failure of leadership. He noted that while the President met with traditional rulers and political allies at the airport, he offered no “concrete policy direction” or “decisive security intervention” to prevent future horrors.

​Government Response

​While the Presidency has yet to issue a direct rebuttal to Atiku’s specific “airport-only” claims, official reports from the visit indicate that President Tinubu held a stakeholders’ meeting at the airport where he assured victims that “this experience will not repeat itself.”

​The President also announced the immediate deployment of 850 additional soldiers to Plateau State and the installation of a surveillance camera network to bolster security.

​”Nigerians are not asking for ceremonial appearances,” Atiku countered. “They do not need to see the President’s face; they need to feel the impact of his leadership.”