Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s (LP) presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, has described President Bola Tinubu’s decision to visit the site of the recent atrocity in Benue State, where over 200 people were slaughtered by suspected armed herders, as “refreshing”.
Obi voiced his thoughts in a message on his official X (previously Twitter) handle on Tuesday, saying that the visit, albeit overdue, was a positive development.
The former Anambra State governor, who had previously criticised Tinubu for his absence during times of national tragedy, stated, “It was refreshing news on Monday to a bewildered nation that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has finally decided to visit the scene of the brutal killings in Benue State. For this, I thank him.”
Obi, however, urged Tinubu to extend the same empathy to Niger State, particularly Mokwa, where over 200 lives were reportedly lost in a devastating flood, with more than 1,000 people still missing.
“Given the emergency nature of these incidents, prompt visits would have delivered the urgency needed, instead of giving future dates that make it look like a state visit,” Obi said.
“The presence of the president in these devastated and grieving communities will be very reassuring and uplifting.”
In comparison to global leadership norms, Obi cited South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who recently travelled 1,870 kilometres from Pretoria to Mthatha to mourn with victims of a flood that killed fewer than 100 people.
“The distance from Abuja to the affected areas is not far. Abuja to Makurdi is about 282 km, and Abuja to Mokwa is about 287 km. Combined, that’s roughly 1,134 km for a round trip to both locations — still less than the trip made by the South African president.”
“If President Ramaphosa could do it, we trust that you, as our own president, can do the same for your people.”
Obi stressed that these victims are “not just statistics”, but families torn apart and communities destroyed.
“Let your visit to Mokwa send a strong message that all Nigerian lives matter and that no community, no matter how rural, is forgotten.”
He also urged the president to increase security around the country, particularly in disaster-prone areas, and to show proactive and compassionate leadership.
“We look forward to seeing not leadership by remote control but leadership that responds not just with words but with compassion and action. A new Nigeria is possible,” he concluded.
