Former Anambra State Governor and 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s delayed visit to crisis-hit regions of the country.
Obi warned that selective empathy and “leadership by remote control” send a dangerous message to grieving Nigerians
In a post on X handle on Tuesday, Obi hailed Tinubu’s planned visit to Benue massacre communities but noted that similar compassion should be shown to communities in Niger State, particularly Mokwa, where floods reportedly claimed over 200 lives and left more than 1,000 people missing.
“It was refreshing news on Monday to a bewildered nation learning that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has finally decided to visit the scene of the brutal killings in Benue State. For this, I thank him.
“Even as I make further request that similar gesture should be extended to Niger state that lost more number of human lives in a natural disaster, flood recently.
“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,” Obi said.
Obi stressed that presidential presence in disaster-hit areas can be “very reassuring and uplifting” for grieving communities, adding that the scale of devastation in both Benue and Niger demanded equal national attention. “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,” he wrote.
Obi noted that the distances from Abuja to both Makurdi and Mokwa are “not far”, about 282km and 287km, respectively.
He contrasted this with a recent trip made by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who travelled over 1,800km round trips to visit flood victims in Mthatha, where fewer than 100 people died.
Obi said,”If the South African President could do it, we trust that you, as our own President, can do the same for your people.
“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 concluded by urging Tinubu to not only show up physically but also enhance security and disaster preparedness, especially in vulnerable regions.
“We look forward to seeing not leadership by remote control but proactive leadership that responds not just with words, but with compassion and action,” Obi added.
THE PUNCH
