Tinubu lacks empathy for grieving Nigerians, prefers to merry with elite – Atiku
Former vice president Abubakar Atiku says President Bola Tinubu lacks empathy for grieving Nigerians who have lost loved ones to the killings that have taken place in different parts of the federation.
Atiku deplored Tinubu’s visit to Plateau State, on Saturday, for the funeral of the mother of the ruling party’s national chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda.
Atiku, who lost to Tinubu in the 2025 presidential race, accused Tinubu of refusing to visit “any of the affected states to commiserate with the grieving citizens” despite the “unrelenting insecurity and thousands of innocent lives lost.”
Atiku described Tinubu’s visit to Plateau — where decades of recurring violence between herders and farmers had claimed several lives —as “a sad reflection of priorities and a glaring mockery of leadership.”
“President Tinubu chose to grace a political funeral rather than stand with the people in their darkest hour.
“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,” Atiku said.
Atiku, formerly a Tinubu ally, recalled that the President similarly failed to visit grieving families when he likewise visited Benue — another violence flashpoint.
The opposition politician concluded that President Tinubu “would rather feast than feel—a leader who finds pleasure where the people find pain.”
Atiku has indicated that he would be contesting the presidency in 2027, after six failed attempts. He is currently one of the arrowheads of an opposition coalition planning to stop President Tinubu’s reelection, if he decides to seek one.
