Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has criticized President Bola Tinubu’s recent visit to Benue State, describing it as lacking empathy and resembling a political show rather than a solemn condolence visit.
In a post on his official X handle on Thursday, Obi said the President’s conduct failed to reflect the magnitude of grief caused by the massacre of over 200 people in Benue and flood-related deaths in Niger State.
“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… and flooding that killed a similar number in Niger,” Obi stated.
He expressed disappointment over the tone of the visit, saying it felt more like a celebration than a moment of mourning.
“The President arrived not in mourning cloth but in celebratory agbada attire, like it was an occasion for joy,” Obi noted.
Obi also criticized the Benue State Government for declaring a public holiday for the visit, which he claimed was used to organize fanfare instead of solemn reflection.
“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 asked.
According to Obi, such events signal a dangerous trend where tragic moments are turned into public spectacles:
“We have tragically arrived at a point where condolence visits have become carnivals… polluted by banners, music, and rehearsed spectacles.”
He contrasted the visit with how other world leaders handle national tragedies.
“When President Ramaphosa visited Mthatha after the floods in South Africa, there were no drums. No staged crowds. No rented cheers. Just presence, silence, and action. When Prime Minister Modi went to the site of a crash, no one lined up to welcome him. He came, he mourned, he acted.”
Obi warned that such performances in the face of national grief erode the country’s moral compass:
“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.”