The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Plateau State has rejected former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar’s criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s recent visit to Jos, describing his remarks as politically motivated and uninformed.
In a statement issued on Monday by its acting publicity secretary, Shittu Bamaiyi, the party said Atiku “lacks the locus standi to complain on behalf of the people of the State.”
Tinubu had visited Jos at the weekend to attend the funeral service of Mama Lydia at the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN) headquarters, where he urged Nigerians to embrace unity, peace, and tolerance.
However, Atiku, in a statement on Saturday, faulted the President’s visit, calling it “a sad reflection of priorities and a mockery of leadership.” He accused Tinubu of showing “a lack of empathy and compassion,” arguing that the President should have instead visited victims of the persistent killings and displacement in the region.
Responding, the Plateau APC said Atiku’s comments were an attempt to make “political capital out of tragedy,” stressing that the former Vice-President spoke “in bad faith and from an uninformed position.”
The party defended Tinubu’s visit, noting that while the President has a constitutional responsibility for national security, state governors also share that duty. It cited Plateau Governor Caleb Mutfwang’s public acknowledgment of federal support in tackling insecurity as evidence of Tinubu’s commitment to peace in the state.
“If Governor Mutfwang, the Chief Security Officer of the State, could in all honesty publicly give the President a pat on the back, it stands to reason that Alhaji Atiku lacks the locus standi to complain on behalf of the people of the State,” the statement read.
The APC urged critics to focus on practical solutions rather than symbolic gestures.
“What is of utmost importance to the people of Plateau State is the need to provide more military assets and boots on the ground to tackle insurgents head-on, rather than dwell on ceremonial visits,” it added.