Peter Obi has criticized President Bola Tinubu for not visiting Yelwata during his trip to Benue State, despite the recent killings in the area. He argued that the President’s justification of bad roads is an insufficient reason for the decision.
“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,” Obi wrote in a post on his X handle on Friday.
“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.”
Tinubu visited Benue State on Wednesday following renewed killings in the state that left scores dead, several injured, and many others displaced.
However, the president did not visit Yelwata, where the attacks occurred, citing the impassable nature of the roads leading to the area.
His comment, however, prompted backlash from prominent Nigerians, including Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 election.
Obi likened Tinubu’s failure to visit the affected area to abandonment.
“Leadership is not about comfort; it is about sacrifice. It is about standing with your 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,” the former Anambra State governor said.
“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 people of Benue did not need protocol or explanations. They needed empathy. They needed presence. The roads may be bad, but what is worse is the institutional neglect that brought us to this point.”