Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, has criticised President Bola Tinubu over his visit to victims of the recent massacre in Benue State.
Obi, 63, observed that the President arrived on Wednesday not in mourning attire, but in a festive-looking agbada, as though attending a celebration.
He said what made the situation even more disheartening was the conduct of the Benue State Government, which, instead of setting a solemn tone or declaring a day of mourning or prayer, opted to declare a public holiday for a fanfare.
Also see: Tinubu Visits Benue Attack Victims
Obi further remarked that Tinubu’s choice of clothing and the general public spectacle surrounding the visit would have been more fitting for the commissioning of the reconstructed Enugu–Makurdi highway—an important road, he noted, linking the South and North of Nigeria that had remained impassable for years.
He condemned the decision to shut down schools simply to line up children—who should have been mourning their murdered classmates—to rehearse, sing, and dance for the President, with parents also compelled to participate.
The Anambra-born politician questioned what kind of nation would permit such a spectacle in the face of tragedy, lamenting that Nigeria had tragically reached a point where condolence visits now resemble carnivals.
“A time that should be marked by silence and solemnity is now polluted by banners, music, and rehearsed spectacles. Precious Nigerian lives have been lost, yet we’re clapping, singing, and organising processions, as though this were a campaign rally,” he said.
Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, argued that the President’s conduct, alongside that of the attendees, did not reflect the empathy expected of a compassionate nation.
He pointed out that the energy, logistics, and resources deployed for the elaborate show could have been better channelled towards providing food, temporary shelter, medical aid, educational support, and trauma counselling for bereaved families. Instead, he said, appearance was given precedence over empathy.
Obi recalled how South African President Cyril Ramaphosa visited Mthatha in the aftermath of severe flooding without any display of fanfare. He noted that there were no staged crowds or orchestrated cheers—just presence, silence, and decisive action.
“When Prime Minister Modi went to the site of a crash, no one lined up to welcome him. He came, he mourned, he acted. That is what leadership looks like in moments of pain. We must ask ourselves: What kind of people have we become?”
Obi also called for an end to what he described as a culture of impunity, stating that although Nigeria is not at war, the country is bleeding—yet its leaders are applauding.
He described this not only as insensitive but also as dangerous. “Let us not forget. These were human beings, children, mothers, fathers, whose blood cries out for justice. When very sad incidents like this turn into a campaign or a festival, our Nation loses its soul.”
Obi urged President Tinubu to show true leadership by returning to Benue and Niger States, this time in the spirit of genuine national mourning.
He said the President must extend compassion and solidarity to the families affected by the massacre of over 200 Nigerians in Benue and the recent flooding in Niger State, which also claimed a similar number of lives.
