Peter Obi has condemned President Bola Tinubu’s recent visit to Benue State, calling it a mockery of the victims rather than an act of genuine sympathy.
The former presidential candidate expressed deep disappointment, stating that in the wake of a national tragedy where over 200 Nigerians were slaughtered in Benue and another 200 lost to floods in Niger State what the country needed was leadership marked by empathy and mourning.
“We pleaded for the President to show compassion by visiting grieving families in Benue and Niger States,” Obi wrote. “But instead of a solemn visit, we witnessed what looked like a political rally.”
According to Obi, rather than arrive in modest, mourning attire to reflect the gravity of the situation, President Tinubu showed up in celebratory agbada robes. The scene, he said, looked more like the commissioning of a major project than a moment of national grief.
Obi didn’t hold back criticism of the state’s handling either. He described how schools were shut down not for reflection or prayer, but to prepare children to perform dances and songs in the rain for the President children who should have been mourning the loss of classmates and family.
“In what kind of country does this happen?” Obi asked. “Where condolence visits turn into carnivals—complete with banners, music, and rehearsed performances—while blood is still fresh in the soil?”
He contrasted this with examples of dignified mourning from other world leaders, pointing to South Africa’s President Ramaphosa and India’s Prime Minister Modi, who visited tragedy sites without spectacle—offering their presence in silence and taking swift action.
“This is not how a compassionate nation behaves,” Obi said. “The logistics, energy, and resources spent on this charade could have gone to food, shelter, trauma counseling, and support for survivors.”
He ended with a grave warning:
“Our nation is bleeding, and we are clapping. That is not only insensitive it is dangerous. When tragedy turns into festival, we are losing our soul.”
“A New Nigeria is POssible.” – Peter Obi
