By Abiola Olawale
The Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 presidential elections, Mr Peter Obi has sharply criticized President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over what he called the latter’s delayed response to the recent massacre in Benue State, where over 200 lives were lost to brutal attacks.
In a strongly worded post on X on Tuesday, Obi accused the president of exhibiting “leadership by remote control” and urged him to demonstrate greater compassion and urgency by personally visiting the affected areas.
Recall that the attack, which occurred last week, has drawn widespread outrage across Nigeria, with Amnesty International reporting at least 100 deaths in a single overnight assault and locals estimating the toll could exceed 200.
Obi’s statement comes as families in Benue continue to mourn, with communities left devastated by the violence.
He contrasted Tinubu’s approach with that of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who recently made a 1,870 km round trip from Pretoria to Mthatha to visit flood victims, despite a death toll of only 78.
He stated: “Given the emergency nature of these incidents, a prompt visit would have delivered the urgency needed, instead of giving future dates that make it look like a state visit.
“The presence of the President in these devastated and grieving communities will be very reassuring and uplifting.
Both Benue and Niger States have lost over 200 lives each due to recent tragedies. In Mokwa alone, more than 200 people were confirmed dead, and over 1,000 are still missing following the floods. These are not just statistics; they are the lives of Nigerian families torn apart and their communities destroyed.
“The distance from Abuja to these affected areas is not far. Abuja to Makurdi is about 282 km and Abuja to Mokwa is about 287 km.”
Obi extended his critique to include the recent floods in Niger State, where over 200 people were confirmed dead and more than 1,000 remain missing following torrential rains and the release of water from the Jebba dam.
He also called for enhanced security measures across Nigeria, particularly in disaster-prone regions, and stressed that the human cost—beyond mere statistics—demands proactive leadership.
