Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election, has sharply criticised President Bola Tinubu for failing to visit the site of a recent massacre in Yelwata, Benue State, calling it “a clear failure of leadership” and a troubling example of the state of the nation.
In a statement issued Thursday via Facebook, Obi rejected the President’s justification that bad roads prevented him from reaching the area, arguing that such excuses have no place in moments of crisis. “One of the consistent principles of leadership is the willingness to make the ultimate sacrifices and take risks,” Obi said. “A true leader does not make excuses or complain; he shows up, sacrifices, and provides solutions, especially in difficult times.”
The former Anambra State governor added that the President had enough time to make necessary arrangements, regardless of the state of the roads. “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?” he asked. “Are we saying a nation that boasts of a presidential air fleet could not airlift the President to Yelwata to condole with grieving citizens?”
Obi argued that at moments of tragedy, a president’s presence is worth more than any statement. “What the people of Benue needed was not protocol or excuses, but genuine compassion and solidarity,” he said.
He warned that if the Commander-in-Chief of Nigeria can be deterred by bad infrastructure, it begs a painful question: what hope is left for ordinary Nigerians condemned to travel those same broken roads every day? “A New Nigeria cannot — and will not — be built on excuses,” Obi concluded. “It will be built on the sacrifices, courage, and responsibility of leaders who show up when it truly matters.”
