Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, has criticized President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for failing to visit Yelwata, the community in Benue State recently hit by deadly attacks, during his official trip to the state.
In a strongly worded statement shared via his X handle on Friday, Obi took issue with Tinubu’s justification for avoiding Yelwata due to bad roads, calling the excuse inadequate and unbecoming of true leadership.
“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,” Obi stated.
He acknowledged that security risks exist but maintained that avoiding the community days after the massacre occurred was unacceptable, especially since there had been ample time to plan a visit appropriately.
“While I do not advocate for our President to expose himself to monumental risks, I cannot accept the excuse that bad roads prevented him from reaching Yelwata in Benue State—especially after he had already made it to the state,” Obi emphasized.
President Tinubu had visited Benue State on Wednesday following renewed violence in the area that resulted in the deaths of scores of people, injuries to many others, and widespread displacement. However, his refusal to go to Yelwata, the epicenter of the attacks, drew backlash from several quarters, including the Social Democratic Party (SDP) presidential candidate, Adewole Adebayo, who also labeled the road excuse as untenable.
Continuing his criticism, Obi stressed that true leadership is not defined by convenience or comfort but by a willingness to be physically and emotionally present in times of distress.
“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,” he said.
Obi questioned why air travel options were not utilized if the roads were truly impassable. “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?”
He concluded by emphasizing that the people of Benue deserved empathy and leadership presence more than protocol or explanations. “The roads may be bad, but what is worse is the institutional neglect that brought us to this point.”
