Former Anambra State governor and Adrican Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential hopeful, Peter Obi, has criticised President Bola Tinubu following his visits to communities affected by violence in Jos, Plateau State.
Describing the visit as lacking compassion and direct engagement, Obi said such actions fall short of what is expected in moments of national grief and crisis.
Speaking in a statement issued on Friday via his official X handle, the 2023 Labour Party (LP) candidate referenced Tinubu’s visit to Benue State in June 2025, where the President reportedly stopped at the Government House without visiting the actual scenes of attacks.
He also cited the President’s recent trip to Jos, where engagements with victims of the Plateau killings were held at the airport rather than in affected communities.
According to the vocal politician in a statement titled, “Leadership Without Compassion is Not Leadership, said, “During his visit to Benue State in June 2025, Bola Ahmed Tinubu stopped at the Government House but did not go to the actual scene where innocent Nigerians lost their lives.
“Similarly, yesterday in Jos, his engagement ended at the airport instead of at the affected communities.
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What happened in Plateau yesterday highlights a complete absence of leadership. True leadership requires presence, empathy, compassion, and a willingness to meet people where their pain truly lies.
“For citizens who have just lost loved ones, homes, and their sense of safety, being addressed from an airport tarmac is profoundly inadequate.
This approach exacerbates the sense of abandonment already felt by innocent Nigerians who have endured repeated cycles of violence without meaningful protection or justice.
“Plateau deserves more than distant words; it requires urgent action and a clear commitment to ending the insecurity that continues to claim innocent lives.
In such moments, leadership must not only be visible but also tangible—standing with victims, listening to survivors, and acknowledging the depth of their grief.
If we truly desire a better Nigeria, we must demand leadership that is present, responsive, and responsible at all times.
A new Nigeria is POssible.”
Obi argued that affected communities deserve more than symbolic gestures, stressing that leadership should involve direct interaction with victims and firsthand assessment of their conditions.
He maintained that recurring violence across parts of the country continues to leave citizens feeling abandoned, calling for a more responsive and people-centred approach to governance.
