Atiku Abubakar, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has criticized President Bola Tinubu for attending the funeral of Mama Lydia Yilwatda, mother of the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), instead of visiting communities affected by insecurity in Plateau State.
In a post on his official X handle, Atiku described Tinubu’s choice to attend a social event as a “sad reflection of priorities and a mockery of leadership.” He lamented that, amidst ongoing violence and displacement in the region, the President has yet to visit any of the affected states to offer condolences.
“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 stated.
He accused Tinubu of showing a lack of empathy and compassion by prioritizing a party event over the needs of victims in states like Benue, Niger, and Kwara, which have experienced repeated attacks. Atiku also referenced Tinubu’s previous visit to Benue, noting that he did not visit Yelewata, the epicenter of a massacre.
“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,” Atiku said, warning that “the people are watching, and they will remember.”
During the funeral service for Mama Lydia, held at the Church of Christ in Nations headquarters in Jos, President Tinubu delivered a speech urging unity, peace, and tolerance among residents. He called for an end to religious and ethnic divisions.
