Yemi Obafemi
Presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general election, Peter Obi, has faulted President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s excuse for failing to visit Yelwata in Benue State during his recent trip to the region.
Reacting in a statement on Thursday, Obi emphasized that true leadership demands sacrifice and solidarity with citizens during difficult times.
“Leadership is not about comfort; it is about sacrifice. It is about standing with your people, especially in moments of pain and tragedy,” Obi said.
“You cannot abandon your citizens in their hour of need. You don’t offer excuses when action is required.”
“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. This visit happened days after the massacre, with enough time to plan appropriately.
“But let’s ask the fundamental question: Who is responsible for fixing the roads if not state and the federal governments? 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? Are we saying a nation that boasts of a presidential air fleet could not airlift the President to Yelwata to condole with grieving citizens?
“The people of Benue did not need protocol or explanations. They needed empathy. They needed presence. The roads may be bad, but what is worse is the institutional neglect that brought us to this point, “ the statement reads.
