Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate under the Labour Party and ex-governor of Anambra, has criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu after failing to visit Yelwata, where over 200 residents were massacred in Benue State.
Tinubu, who visited Benue on Wednesday to condole with victims, stated that “the rain, flood, and bad roads” hindered him from visiting the Yelwata village under the Guma area of Benue State.
Obi, in a statement released on Friday via his X handle (formerly Twitter), criticised Tinubu, stating leadership is not about comfort; it is about sacrifice.
“One of the consistent principles of leadership is the willingness to make ultimate sacrifices and take risks,” he stated. “A true leader does not make excuses or complain; he shows up, sacrifices, and provides solutions, especially in difficult times.”
While acknowledging the need to protect the president from unnecessary risk, Obi said the excuse given was unacceptable. “This visit happened days after the massacre, with enough time to plan appropriately,” he noted.
Obi also pointed out that the responsibility for maintaining infrastructure, including roads, lies squarely with both state and federal governments. He questioned why the president did not consider other means of accessing the community.
“Even if we accept that the roads were truly impassable—which they are not, as presidential aides and staff managed to navigate them—what happened to the use of helicopters?” Obi queried. “Are we saying a nation that boasts of a presidential air fleet could not airlift the president to Yelwata to condole with grieving citizens?”
He emphasised that the people of Benue were not looking for justifications but concrete demonstrations of empathy and leadership. “A New Nigeria cannot—and will not—be built on excuses. It will be built on the sacrifices, courage, and responsibility of true leaders,” he added.
Obi also condemned the tone of the president’s visit, describing it as insensitive and poorly handled. “Children who should be mourning their slaughtered classmates and parents were instead lined up under the rain, rehearsed to sing and dance for the president,” he said.
