Two former presidential candidates, Mr. Peter Obi of the Labour Party and Prince Adewole Adebayo of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), have sharply criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent visit to Benue State, describing it as politically tone-deaf and emotionally disconnected from the tragic realities on the ground.
In a strongly worded statement on his verified X handle on Thursday, Obi denounced the visit as a “fanfare masquerading as a condolence mission,” arguing that it lacked the solemnity and empathy required in the wake of the brutal killings that recently rocked the state.
“What we saw in Benue was not a moment of national mourning, but a show more fitting for an infrastructure commissioning,” Obi wrote.
“The President arrived not in mourning attire, but in celebratory Agbada—as if attending a festive gathering rather than acknowledging a massacre.”
Obi further lambasted the conduct of the Benue State government, accusing Governor Hyacinth Alia of staging an “insensitive and rehearsed spectacle.”
He condemned the decision to declare a public holiday, close schools, and line up schoolchildren and grieving families—under the rain—to welcome the President.
“In what kind of country are children made to sing and dance while still mourning their classmates? How do we justify such pageantry in the aftermath of such tragedy?” Obi questioned.
“The state should have declared a day of reflection, not a parade,” he added.
The former Anambra State governor called for a more compassionate and grounded approach to national leadership, especially in times of grief. “The loss of innocent lives demands empathy, humility, and decisive action—not optics and stage-managed appearances,” he said.
Joining Obi in condemnation, SDP’s Prince Adewole Adebayo also took to his official X handle to decry the President’s visit, describing it as a missed opportunity to demonstrate genuine leadership during a national crisis.
“Rather than mourning with the people, the event was reduced to a grotesque town hall, where political posturing for 2027 took centre stage,” Adebayo wrote.
“Instead of addressing the pain of a massacre, the focus was on the President’s ‘sacrifice’ of coming to visit. That is not leadership—it’s political theatre.”
For Adebayo, the tragedy in Benue is emblematic of a deeper failure in governance and moral accountability. He described the scene as one that belied the gravity of recent events, suggesting that an outsider would struggle to believe a massacre had occurred only days prior.
He reserved his most pointed criticism for the region’s traditional rulers, who used the occasion to express political loyalty to Tinubu rather than stand in solidarity with their grieving communities.
“That traditional leaders chose to endorse the President’s second-term ambitions on a day of mourning is not only undignified, it’s a tragic reflection of how lost our leadership culture has become,” Adebayo wrote.
Both leaders concluded their remarks with calls for national introspection and urgent reform.
“We cannot continue like this,” Adebayo warned. “Nigeria must rise above this cycle of poverty, insecurity, and performative governance. A new direction is not just necessary—it is inevitable.”
As public outrage over the Benue and Niger killings continues to mount, the reactions from Obi and Adebayo add to growing pressure on the Tinubu administration to demonstrate empathy, accountability, and a meaningful response to Nigeria’s deepening security crisis.
