Obi slams Tinubu’s silence, demands urgent national action on security

DDM News

Former Governor of Anambra State and 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, has responded to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s proposed visit to Benue State amid widespread killings and devastation.

In a statement released on Tuesday, Obi acknowledged the planned visit, describing it as a welcome move, but insisted that the timing and urgency remain insufficient.

Diaspora Digital Media (DDM) reports that the President’s scheduled trip, announced by the Presidency on Monday, comes after mounting public outcry over the administration’s silence on the mass killings in Benue.

Obi had earlier criticized President Tinubu for failing to personally visit or comment publicly on the wave of violence that has claimed numerous lives.

According to Obi, the President’s presence in grief-stricken communities would have offered emotional support and demonstrated national solidarity had it occurred earlier.

He described the development as “refreshing news” to a nation struggling with shock, trauma, and despair following the Benue bloodshed.

Obi, however, extended his concern beyond Benue, drawing attention to Niger State, which recently suffered catastrophic flooding that claimed over 200 lives in Mokwa alone.

He emphasized that more than 1,000 individuals remain missing in the Niger tragedy, and such disasters deserve equally urgent presidential attention.

“Given the emergency nature of these incidents, prompt visits would have delivered the urgency needed instead of giving future dates that make it look like a state visit,” Obi said.

He maintained that real leadership is best exhibited in moments of national distress and by direct engagement with affected citizens.

Obi also noted that the combined travel distance to Benue and Niger from Abuja is less than what President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa recently covered to console flood victims in Mthatha.

He explained that President Ramaphosa made a round trip of over 1,800 km to visit victims in a region where fewer than 100 people died, unlike the over 200 confirmed dead and more than 1,000 missing in Nigeria’s Mokwa.

“The distance from Abuja to Makurdi is 282 km and Abuja to Mokwa is 287 km. That’s a combined round trip of about 1,134 km,” Obi stated.

“If the South African President could go that far to show concern, our own President should not find it difficult to do same.”

He urged President Tinubu to go beyond political protocol and deliver real human connection to families devastated by both natural and man-made disasters.

Obi further encouraged the President to use the visit to Mokwa to send a national message, that all Nigerian lives matter and that no community, however remote, is to be neglected.

He expressed concern over what he described as “leadership by remote control” and called for a more proactive, hands-on approach in the face of national emergencies.

According to Obi, such visits should not be symbolic photo opportunities but sincere acts of national solidarity and decisive leadership.

He also advised that national security be improved, particularly in vulnerable areas prone to disaster and violence.

“Please consider stepping up security across the country, especially in disaster-prone areas,” he stated.

Obi maintained that presidential empathy must be timely and visible, not delayed or restricted by bureaucratic schedules.

He concluded by saying that Nigeria deserves leadership that communicates through action and compassion, not just through press statements and delayed gestures.

The call by the former governor comes amidst continued attacks across various states, worsening insecurity, and natural disasters made more intense by climate change and poor emergency preparedness.

Observers say Obi’s remarks may intensify public scrutiny on how the federal government prioritizes national tragedies and handles crises.

Human rights groups and civil society organisations have also weighed in on the issue, demanding immediate relief, improved disaster management, and lasting security reforms.

The Presidency is yet to release a full itinerary for President Tinubu’s trip to Benue, and no official word has been given concerning a potential visit to Niger State.

Meanwhile, families of victims in Mokwa and Makurdi continue to bury their dead and search for missing loved ones in the absence of substantial federal presence.

Critics argue that the government’s sluggish response is emblematic of a broader failure to act swiftly in the face of nationwide grief.

With over 200 deaths each in both Niger and Benue states, the tragedies have reignited calls for better governance, quicker crisis response, and a leadership style grounded in empathy and urgency.

As Nigerians await the President’s physical presence in Benue, the spotlight now shifts to whether his actions will meet the expectations stirred by Obi’s emotional and data-backed appeal.

For many grieving families, the question remains, will the President’s visit be the beginning of healing or just another fleeting moment of politics?

DDM will continue to monitor developments as President Tinubu prepares for the high-stakes visit to one of the nation’s most bereaved communities.

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