The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Plateau State has dismissed former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar’s recent comments about President Bola Tinubu’s visit to Jos, describing them as politically driven and lacking substance.
In a statement issued by its acting publicity secretary, Shittu Bamaiyi, the APC maintained that Atiku has no grounds to speak on behalf of the people of Plateau. The party said the former vice president’s remarks were “uninformed” and intended to score political points.
President Tinubu had visited Jos over the weekend to attend the funeral service of Mama Lydia at the Church of Christ in Nations headquarters. During the visit, the President called for unity and urged Nigerians to overcome ethnic and religious divides.
Atiku, in a statement on Saturday, criticised the visit, describing it as poorly timed given the region’s ongoing security challenges. He argued that the president’s presence in Jos, at what he termed a “partisan event,” showed a lack of empathy for victims of violent attacks in Plateau State. He said Tinubu’s visit should have been focused on condolence and solidarity with affected communities.
In response, the Plateau APC defended the President’s trip, asserting that security is a shared responsibility between federal and state governments. It also noted that Governor Caleb Mutfwang had publicly acknowledged the federal government’s support in addressing insecurity in the state.
The party insisted that Atiku’s comments were made in bad faith and dismissed his moral authority to speak for Plateau residents. It emphasized that the warm reception Tinubu received during the visit, including the governor’s commendation, showed that the visit was well-received locally.
The APC further argued that rather than criticize ceremonial visits, attention should be directed toward enhancing military operations and providing more resources to security forces in the region.
The statement concluded that while discussions on security approaches are welcome, Atiku’s remarks were off-target and served only political ends.
