Labour Party 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has criticised President Bola Tinubu for failing to visit Yelwata in Benue State, where over 200 people were recently massacred.
Obi described the President's excuse of "bad roads" as unacceptable and emblematic of weak leadership.
In a statement posted Thursday on his Facebook page, Obi said Tinubu's inability to reach Yelwata despite being physically present in Benue underscored a failure to embody the essence of leadership in moments of national grief.
"One of the consistent principles of leadership is the willingness to make ultimate sacrifices and take risks," Obi stated. "A true leader does not make excuses or complain; he shows up, sacrifices, and provides solutions, especially in difficult times."
Obi questioned how the President could blame road conditions under his administration for preventing access to a community in mourning, especially when there had been sufficient time to prepare logistically following the attack.
"Even if we accept that the roads were truly impassable, which they are not, since his aides and security teams used them what happened to the helicopters?" Obi asked. "Are we to believe that a country with a presidential air fleet couldn't find a way to fly the President to Yelwata to comfort grieving citizens?"
Highlighting the symbolism of physical presence during tragedy, the former Anambra State governor stressed that Nigerians expected empathy, not protocol or excuses.
"If the Commander-in-Chief cannot reach his citizens due to bad roads, what hope is there for the average Nigerian who plies those same roads every day?" he said.
Obi concluded by condemning what he described as institutional neglect and calling for a new kind of leadership one rooted in action, sacrifice, and compassion.
"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 stated.
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