Tinubu’s Excuse for Skipping Yelewata Unacceptable — Peter Obi

Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general election, has criticised President Bola Tinubu for failing to visit Yelewata in Benue state following a deadly attack on the community.

Tinubu, who was in Benue on Wednesday to commiserate with victims, said he could not visit the epicentre of the massacre due to “the rain, flood and bad roads.”

Reacting in a statement on Friday via X, Obi described the excuse as unacceptable and unbecoming of a leader in times of tragedy.

“One of the consistent principles of leadership is the willingness to make 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.”

Obi argued that Tinubu had enough time to plan a proper visit, saying, “This visit happened days after the massacre, with enough time to plan appropriately.”

While acknowledging the need to protect the president from undue risk, Obi said the real issue was the absence of compassion and leadership.

“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 who plies those same routes every day?”

“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?”

Obi added: “The people of Benue did not need protocol or explanations. They needed empathy. They needed presence.”

He said the tragedy reflects a larger failure of governance. “The roads may be bad, but what is worse is the institutional neglect that brought us to this point.”