“If the Commander-in-Chief cannot reach a part of his own country due to bad roads, what hope is there for the ordinary Nigerian?”
ABUJA — Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi has criticised President Bola Tinubu for failing to visit Yelwata, Benue State, the epicentre of a recent massacre that left over 200 dead.
Obi, in a statement on X Friday, described Tinubu’s excuse of “rain, flood and bad roads” as unacceptable. “A true leader does not make excuses… He shows up, sacrifices, and provides solutions, especially in difficult times,” he said.
While acknowledging the president’s security must be considered, Obi argued that alternatives like helicopters were available. “Are we saying a nation that boasts of a presidential air fleet could not airlift the President to Yelwata?”
He also decried the Benue State government for declaring a public holiday and parading school children during Tinubu’s visit. “Children who should be mourning were instead rehearsed to sing and dance,” he said.
Obi insisted that leadership demands presence and empathy, adding: “A New Nigeria cannot — and will not — be built on excuses.”