Peter Obi has condemned President Tinubu’s visit to Benue, calling it a show of misplaced priorities.
He criticized the president’s attire and the visit’s carnival-like atmosphere, arguing that it lacked the seriousness.
Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has faulted President Bola Tinubu’s recent visit to Benue State, describing it as a missed opportunity to show genuine empathy to victims and families affected by recent violence in the state.
Obi expressed disappointment over the president’s appearance and conduct during the visit, saying Tinubu chose to focus on public image rather than mourning with the people.
The former Anambra State governor criticized the president for wearing what he called a “celebratory agbada” instead of dressing in a more somber outfit suitable for mourning. His reaction follows the killing of around 200 people in Yelewata, a community in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, which has been blamed on suspected armed herders.
President Tinubu had visited Benue to offer condolences and assure residents of his administration’s commitment to ending the violence. However, Obi said the visit lacked the seriousness and compassion expected from a leader in such a tragic moment.
In a post shared via his official X handle (Twitter), Obi questioned the nation’s declining sense of humanity. He wrote, “What has happened to our compassion as a people?”
He continued, “We pleaded that the President should show leadership and visit Benue and Niger States in the spirit of deep national mourning, to offer compassion and solidarity to families torn apart by the senseless massacre of over 200 innocent Nigerians in Benue State and flooding that killed a similar number in Niger State.”
Obi said instead of a reflective and respectful occasion, the president’s visit turned into what appeared to be a celebration.
“What we saw in Benue visit was instead of a solemn, reflective visit, a display that would have been more befitting for the commissioning of reconstructed Enugu-Makurdi highway, a critical road connecting South and Northern Nigeria which had become impassable for years,” Obi stated.
He added, “The President arrived not in mourning cloth but in celebratory agbada attire, like it was an occasion for joy.”
The former presidential candidate also pointed fingers at the state government for its role in organizing the visit. He described how schools were closed and children, instead of mourning lost classmates and relatives, were made to line up in the rain to perform and cheer for the president.
Obi lamented, “Even more heartbreaking is the role of the State. Rather than being in mourning mood and weeping, they declared a public holiday, not for reflection or prayer, but to organize fanfare. Schools were shut down. Children who should be mourning their slaughtered classmates, and parents were instead lined up under the rain, rehearsed to sing and dance for the President. In what kind of country does this happen?”
He said the incident showed a troubling shift in values, where mourning has been replaced with orchestrated political displays.
“We have tragically arrived at a point where condolence visits have become carnivals. A time that should be marked by silence and solemnity is now polluted by banners, music, and rehearsed spectacles,” Obi wrote. “Precious Nigerian lives have been lost, yet we’re clapping, singing, and organizing processions, as though this were a campaign rally.”
Obi called for a return to true leadership and compassion, referencing how world leaders respond to tragedy with quiet dignity rather than showmanship. He pointed to examples like South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, both of whom handled similar situations with restraint and humility.
“The energy, resources, and logistics poured into this charade could have gone into food supplies, temporary shelters, medical aid, school support, and trauma counselling for grieving families. Instead, we chose optics over empathy,” he concluded.
He ended the post with a somber reminder: “These were human beings, children, mothers, fathers whose blood cries out for justice… When very sad incidents like this turn to campaign or festival, our nation is losing its soul. A new Nigeria is possible!”
