Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has criticised President Bola Tinubu for attending what he described as a political funeral in Plateau State instead of visiting communities affected by the region’s lingering insecurity.

Atiku expressed his disappointment over Tinubu’s presence at the burial of Mama Lydia Yilwatda Goshwe, mother of the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda. The burial, held in Jos on Saturday, drew several high-profile dignitaries, including Governor Caleb Mutfwang and Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

Mama Lydia passed away in August 2025 at the University of Jos Teaching Hospital, aged 83.

Reacting to the event, Atiku accused President Tinubu of “misplaced priorities,” saying the President should have used the opportunity to console grieving families across Plateau and other states plagued by violence.

“With large parts of the country still under siege and thousands of innocent lives lost, it is deeply regrettable that President Bola Tinubu has yet to visit any of the affected states to console the victims,” Atiku said.

He noted that Plateau State, one of the hardest-hit areas in the North Central region, deserved empathy and solidarity rather than political showmanship.

“It is a sad reflection of priorities that while families in Plateau continue to bury their loved ones, the President chose to attend a political funeral instead of standing with the people in their darkest hour,” he added.

Atiku further condemned what he described as a “heartless display of indifference” by both Tinubu and the APC leadership, accusing them of disregarding empathy and the sanctity of human life.

He referenced the ongoing violence in Benue, Niger, and Kwara States as evidence of the country’s deteriorating security situation and criticised the federal government’s failure to visit or directly comfort affected communities.

“Even during his symbolic visit to Benue in June, President Tinubu avoided Yelewata, the epicentre of the massacre and instead concluded his trip in Makurdi,” Atiku said.
“Now again, he is in Plateau State, not to console the bereaved or reassure the broken, but to celebrate with his party elite while the people mourn. The message is clear: this is a President who chooses comfort over compassion.”

Atiku concluded by warning that Nigerians are watching closely and will not forget what he described as the Tinubu administration’s insensitivity to the nation’s deepening security crisis.