Mr. Peter Obi, presidential candidate of Labour Party in 2023, said President Bola Tinubu has no reason not to visit Yelwata, Benue State, where over 200 persons were massacred in their sleep by suspected killer Fulani herdsmen.
Tinubu was in Makurdi, the state capital, last Wednesday but could not visit the scene of the attack because of the flood and the bad road.
But Obi reminded the president that 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,” he said in a statement on his X platform.
The former Anambra State governor stated that while he does not advocate for the 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.
“This visit happened days after the massacre, with enough time to plan appropriately.”
He wondered whose responsibility it is to fix the roads if not the state and federal governments.
According to him, 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?
“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 added.
He stated that even if Nigerians accept that the roads were truly impassable, “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?”
Obi said the people of Benue did not need protocol or explanations but empathy.
“They needed presence. The roads may be bad, but what is worse is the institutional neglect that brought us to this point.
“A new Nigeria cannot—and will not—be built on excuses. It will be built on the sacrifices, courage, and responsibility of true leaders.
“A New Nigeria is Possible,” he added.
