The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, has criticised President Bola Tinubu for not visiting Benue State in spite of the killings happening in the state.
In a post on X on Monday morning, Obi claimed it showed Tinubu does not value human lives and lacks empathy.
He pointed to incidents in India and South Africa, as examples of what good leaders do when tragedies happen.
There has been widespread outrage over Tinubu’s response to over 200 people being massacred by herders in Benue State.
The president’s statement came almost 24 hours after the incident, with Pope Leo even sending his condolences much earlier.
Obi wrote: “Sadly, the evidence is right before our eyes. Recently, we witnessed severe flooding in Niger State that claimed nearly 200 lives, with many still missing.
“Yet, not even a single presidential visit. This, in a nation where the scene of the tragedy is less than an hour away by helicopter.
“Just days ago, over 200 Nigerians, innocent men, women, children, and even soldiers were massacred in Benue State.
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“Again, no presidential visit. No physical presence at the scenes of pain. No genuine national mourning. No leadership face to comfort the grieving or give hope to the people.
“Yet, we have seen what true leadership looks like elsewhere: In India, after a plane crash killed nearly 200 people, the Prime Minister was physically at the scene within hours.
“In South Africa, when floods claimed 78 lives, the president went personally to the affected communities, stood with them, and took responsibility.
“That is leadership with compassion. That is leadership that understands the value of human life.
“But here in Nigeria, we have normalised leadership without empathy, without accountability, and without a human face.
“That is why I insist: Nigeria does not just need another president; Nigeria needs a leader, a leader with competence, capacity, character, and compassion.
“Until we choose leaders on these principles, the cycle of pain will only continue.”
