Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has strongly criticized President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s visit to Plateau State following the recent killings, describing the trip as insensitive, hurried, and lacking empathy for victims and affected communities.
In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, the opposition party said the President’s conduct during the visit reflected what it termed “the height of insensitivity and inhumanity.”
According to the PDP, more than 40 people were killed in Plateau State on Palm Sunday, March 29, 2026, but the Presidency allegedly remained silent for over 48 hours after the incident.
“On Palm Sunday, 29th March 2026, more than 40 people were massacred in Plateau State, and the Presidency was silent for more than forty-eight hours,” the statement read.
The party further alleged that the Federal Government initially downplayed the attacks until public outrage forced the President to make the trip.
“Thereafter, the Presidency and the administration had completely glossed over the carnage until Nigerians overwhelmingly condemned the President for not visiting Plateau State. Four days later, President Tinubu grudgingly visited Plateau State in the evening, rushed through a meeting with stakeholders and victims at the lounge of the Jos airport,” the PDP stated.
‘10-Minute Visit Offered No Comfort’ — PDP
The opposition party also faulted what it described as a rushed engagement with victims and stakeholders, claiming the President appeared impatient during the visit.
“The President’s insensitivity and inhumanity were on full display. His impatience with the audience was glaring when he declared that the ‘airport does not have light’ and that he had only 10 minutes before flying back to Abuja,” the PDP said.
According to the statement, the visit failed to provide reassurance to victims and affected communities.
“His visit and words offered no succour to the victims. Instead, his contempt for the people was revealed. His words were not diplomatic and very far from soothing. This is not how to lead,” the party added.
PDP Condemns ‘Performative’ Visit
The PDP further described the visit as a “performative and superficial show,” insisting that the trip worsened the pain of affected communities.
“We wholly condemn this performative and superficial show by the Presidency. It would have been better for President Tinubu to have stayed back in Abuja than to mount this disgraceful display that added salt to the injury of the victims of this massacre,” the statement read.
The party also linked the President’s decision not to leave the airport to worsening insecurity across the country.
“The President’s inability to leave the airport is clearly linked to the untamed insecurity that has overwhelmed the nation’s security agencies. That the President himself fears venturing into Plateau State is a damning indication of the hopelessness into which the Tinubu APC-led administration has plunged this country,” the PDP alleged.
CCTV Plan ‘Not a Solution’ — PDP
The PDP also criticized the President’s announcement of deploying 5,000 Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras, describing it as inadequate in addressing the country’s security challenges.
“The President’s announcement of 5,000 Closed-Circuit Television cameras is yet another evidence of the simplistic lens through which this administration views core security challenges,” the statement said.
“It is laughable to suggest that cameras are the panacea for the murderous insecurity ravaging Plateau State and the rest of the country.”
Call for Broader Security Strategy
The opposition party urged the Federal Government to adopt a comprehensive and inclusive approach to tackling insecurity nationwide.
“We call on the President and the Federal Government to immediately adopt a whole-of-society approach, with deliberate emphasis on community engagement, to urgently address and curb the insecurity tearing this nation apart,” the PDP stated.