Benue Killings: Obi Criticizes Tinubu for Skipping Visit to Yelwata, Dismisses Bad Road Excuse
By Sholeye Ayodele, Lagos
President Bola Tinubu has come under fire for not visiting Yelwata, the community recently devastated by violent attacks in Benue State. His justification—that the roads leading to the area were impassable—has been firmly rejected by former presidential candidate Peter Obi.
Obi, expressing his disapproval in a post on his official X handle on Friday, stated that true leadership involves sacrifice and presence, particularly in times of crisis.
“One of the enduring principles of leadership is the readiness to make sacrifices and take risks. A true leader doesn’t make excuses or complain. He shows up, makes sacrifices, and provides solutions—especially during difficult times,” Obi wrote.
While clarifying that he wasn’t advocating for the president to take unnecessary risks, Obi emphasized that the excuse of bad roads was unacceptable, especially since Tinubu had already traveled to Benue State and had ample time to prepare adequately for a visit to Yelwata.
President Tinubu had visited Benue State on Wednesday, following renewed violence that resulted in numerous deaths, injuries, and displacement. Despite his presence in the state, he did not visit Yelwata, where the attack occurred, citing the poor condition of access roads.
Obi, along with other concerned Nigerians, responded critically to this decision. He equated Tinubu’s absence in the affected community to abandoning citizens in their time of need.
“Leadership is not about comfort; it’s about sacrifice. It’s about standing with the people, especially in times of pain and tragedy. You don’t abandon citizens in their moment of grief. You don’t make excuses when decisive action is required,” Obi stated.
He further challenged the notion that bad roads were the true barrier, noting that presidential aides managed to access the area. “Even if we assume the roads were impassable—which they were not, given that staff reached the location—what happened to using helicopters? Are we to believe that a country with a presidential air fleet couldn’t fly the President to Yelwata to express sympathy to grieving citizens?”
Obi concluded that the people of Benue needed not explanations or protocol, but empathy and physical presence. “The roads may be bad,” he said, “but what’s worse is the institutional neglect that has brought us to this tragic point.”
