The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi, has criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for failing to visit Yelwata, where over 200 people were killed, during his recent trip to Benue State on Wednesday.
Obi had earlier on Tuesday expressed gratitude to President Tinubu for scheduling a visit to Benue.
However, in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday, he stated that the President had no excuse for not visiting the scene of the attack in Guma Local Government Area of the state.
He wrote: “One of the consistent principles of leadership is the willingness to make ultimate sacrifices and take risks. A true leader does not make excuses or complain; he shows up, sacrifices, and provides solutions, especially in difficult times.
“While I do not advocate for our President to expose himself to monumental risks, I cannot accept the excuse that bad roads prevented him from reaching Yelwata in Benue State—especially after he had already made it to the state. This visit happened days after the massacre, with enough time to plan appropriately.
“But let’s ask the fundamental question: Who is responsible for fixing the roads if not state and the federal governments? If the Commander-in-Chief cannot reach a part of his own country due to bad roads, what hope is there for the ordinary Nigerian who plies those same routes every day?”
According to him, leadership is not about comfort but sacrifice and standing with the people, especially in moments of pain and tragedy.
“You cannot abandon your citizens in their hour of need. You don’t offer excuses when action is required,” Obi noted.
He asked, “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? Are we saying a nation that boasts of a presidential air fleet could not airlift the President to Yelwata to condole with grieving citizens?”
The former Anambra State governor explained that the people of Benue did not need protocol or explanations, but rather empathy and presence.
“The roads may be bad, but what is worse is the institutional neglect that brought us to this point. 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.
