Adams Oshiomhole

Former Edo State Governor and Senator representing Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole, has defended President Bola Tinubu’s visit to Plateau State, faulting former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s criticism as a reflection of political obsession.

Oshiomhole, who appeared on Sunday Politics on Channels Television, said he had “sympathy” for Atiku, describing the 2023 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate as someone “consumed by politics.”

“I have sympathy for Atiku,” Oshiomhole said during the programme. “He has allowed himself to be consumed by politics. Everything he sees, he interprets through the eyes of partisanship.”

Atiku had earlier criticised President Tinubu for attending the funeral of Mama Lydia Yilwatda Goshwe, mother of the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman, Prof. Abdullahi Yilwatda, in Plateau State on Saturday.

In a statement posted on his official X handle, the former Vice President described the President’s attendance as “a sad reflection of priorities and a mockery of leadership.”

He argued that the President should have visited and commiserated with victims of insecurity in the North Central region instead of attending “a social event associated with his party chairman.”

“With large swathes of the country still under siege from unrelenting insecurity and thousands of innocent lives lost, it is deeply unfortunate that President Bola Tinubu has not, for once, found it worthy to visit any of the affected states to commiserate with the grieving citizens,” Atiku stated.

He added, “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.”

Responding to the remarks, Oshiomhole maintained that the President’s visit to Plateau was in line with cultural and social norms, insisting it should not be politicised.

“It is customary to go to any state and commiserate with the governor representing the collective spirit of the people of that state,” he said.

Oshiomhole further noted that the President had previously visited Benue State to celebrate Christmas and attend social functions, stressing that such gestures are not meant to be replicated in every locality affected by violence.

“He went to Benue to celebrate Christmas. He went to Benue to celebrate a birthday. So he has to go to the particular location, or in this case of the mother of APC, did he go to the village where the woman was born or where the woman is going to be buried?” the senator queried.

President Tinubu attended the funeral service for Mama Lydia at the Church of Christ in Nations Headquarters in Jos, where he urged Nigerians to promote peace and tolerance.

He called on citizens to “shun religious and ethnic differences” and live together in unity and harmony.

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