Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi has faulted President Bola Tinubu for failing to visit Yelwata in Benue state after a deadly attack in the area.
Obi said the president’s excuse of bad roads was unacceptable, especially as he had already made it to Benue and had ample time to plan for the trip.
In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday, Obi said leadership demands sacrifice and presence during difficult times.
His words: “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.”
The former Anambra state governor said while he does not support exposing the president to undue danger, citing bad roads as a reason for not visiting Yelwata falls short of leadership expectations.
“This visit happened days after the massacre, with enough time to plan appropriately,” he said.
He further stated: “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.”
“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?” Obi queried.
He added that what the people of Benue needed was not protocol or explanation, but compassion and presence.
“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,” he added.
The article was originally published on Politics Nigeria.
