President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's visit to Plateau State has drawn both praise and criticism, with his aide Fredrick Nwabufo describing it as a display of empathy and leadership. Nwabufo, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Engagement, said Tinubu engaged stakeholders and reassured communities affected by recurring violence of the Federal Government's commitment to lasting peace. The President, according to Nwabufo, spoke with deep concern, offering compassion to victims while reaffirming his role as both consoler-in-chief and Commander-in-Chief. "His words were clear, imbued with deep concern and compassion. He showed unvarnished empathy and care," Nwabufo stated in a tweet.
Tinubu emphasized the need to confront the root causes of the crisis, saying, "We must break the shackles of death." Nwabufo stressed that the administration is focused on enduring solutions, not just symbolic gestures. However, the visit sparked backlash over the decision to meet grieving families at the airport rather than the affected communities. The Presidency responded by citing scheduling and logistical constraints as the reason for the arrangement.
Meeting grieving families at the airport does not convey the empathy Fredrick Nwabufo claims the President displayed. If Tinubu truly seeks to break the "shackles of death" in Plateau, symbolism without presence means little to those buried in the rubble of repeated violence. The administration's message falters when logistics override the basic expectation of leaders standing where pain is felt. For Nigerians weary of performative visits, this moment reinforces distance, not connection.
