Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has strongly criticised President Bola Tinubu for not visiting Benue and Niger States following recent tragic events that left hundreds of Nigerians dead. Obi said the President’s failure to show up at the scenes of these disasters reflects a lack of compassion and responsible leadership.
Taking to his official X handle on Monday, Obi expressed deep disappointment over what he described as a pattern of indifference from the presidency at a time when many Nigerians are grieving the loss of loved ones. He argued that true leadership demands not just holding office but also physically standing with the people during moments of collective sorrow.
“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,” Obi wrote.
He lamented that even after brutal attacks in Benue State left more than 200 Nigerians dead—including women, children, and soldiers—the President still failed to appear at the affected communities or declare a genuine national period of mourning.
“Just days ago, over 200 Nigerians, innocent men, women, children, and even soldiers were massacred in Benue State. 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,” Obi stated.
According to Obi, President Tinubu’s handling of these tragic incidents reveals a worrying gap in four essential qualities of leadership: competence, capacity, character, and compassion. Without these attributes, Obi believes, no leader can truly deliver good governance to Nigerians.
“The true test of national leadership lies in its competence, capacity, character, and compassion—qualities he claims are missing in Tinubu’s leadership, saying that ‘Where these four are non-existent, there is no magic you can do.’”
He explained that competence means understanding the complex issues Nigeria faces and offering concrete solutions; capacity reflects the physical and mental strength to manage such crises effectively; character speaks to integrity and trustworthiness; and compassion ensures that citizens are seen as human beings rather than mere statistics.
He said, “Competence because Nigeria today needs a leader who understands the issues, who has the knowledge, experience, and clear ideas to solve them. Capacity because it is not a ceremonial position; it requires strength, stamina, and the mental energy to confront our complex challenges.
“And above all, leadership must be rooted in character and integrity because without integrity, public trust collapses, corruption thrives, and selfishness takes over. But perhaps most importantly, we need compassion, because when a leader lacks compassion, human lives are treated as statistics, and suffering is ignored.”
Drawing comparisons with other world leaders, Obi cited examples from India and South Africa, where heads of state were quick to appear at disaster scenes to personally comfort victims and take responsibility.
He noted, “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.”
Obi concluded by urging Nigerians to demand and elect leaders who possess these four essential traits, warning that the nation’s cycle of tragedy and pain will only continue unless this happens.
“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,” he added.
