Benue Massacre: Obi Slams Tinubu Over Failure to Visit Yelwata, Cites Leadership Failure
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| Mr. Peter Obi |
Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi, has strongly criticized President Bola Tinubu for failing to visit Yelwata, Benue State, the site of a recent massacre, reportedly due to “bad roads.” Obi described the president’s excuse as unacceptable and emblematic of poor leadership.
In a statement published Thursday via his official Facebook page, Obi questioned how a sitting president could be deterred by infrastructure failings under his own administration.
“One of the core principles of leadership is the willingness to make sacrifices and take risks,” Obi stated. “A true leader does not complain or give excuses; he shows up, stands with his people, and provides solutions—especially in times of crisis.”
Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, argued that President Tinubu had ample time to plan his visit and could have arranged alternative means of transportation, including the use of helicopters.
“Even if we accept that the roads were truly impassable—which they are not, as members of the presidential team reportedly reached the area—what happened to the presidential air fleet? Are we to believe that the President of Nigeria could not be airlifted to Yelwata to console victims of a massacre?” he asked.
Obi emphasized that leadership requires presence, empathy, and action during national tragedies—not mere protocol or public relations.
“At a time when citizens are grieving and desperate for reassurance, what they need is not bureaucratic explanations, but genuine compassion and solidarity. If the Commander-in-Chief cannot access part of his own country due to bad roads, what hope is there for the ordinary Nigerian who plies those same routes daily?” he said.
He condemned what he described as "institutional neglect" and called for a new paradigm of leadership built on courage, sacrifice, and responsibility.
“A New Nigeria cannot—and will not—be built on excuses. It must be built on the firm shoulders of leaders who lead from the front, not from a distance,” Obi concluded.
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