Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has come down hard on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for failing to visit Yelwata, the Benue State community where over 200 people were recently massacred.

In a statement posted on his Facebook page Thursday, Obi called the President’s reason — bad roads — “unacceptable” and said it reflects poor leadership in times of national crisis.

“One of the consistent principles of leadership is the willingness to make ultimate sacrifices and take risks,” Obi said. “A true leader does not make excuses or complain; he shows up, sacrifices, and provides solutions, especially in difficult times.”

Obi, who visited the area himself shortly after the incident, questioned how the President, who was already present in Benue, could not make his way to Yelwata.

“Even if we accept that the roads were truly impassable, which they are not, since his aides and security teams used them — what happened to the helicopters?” he asked. “Are we to believe that a country with a presidential air fleet couldn’t find a way to fly the President to Yelwata to comfort grieving citizens?”

He further criticized Tinubu for failing to demonstrate empathy at a time when families are mourning, stressing the symbolic importance of physically showing up in times of tragedy.

“If the Commander-in-Chief cannot reach his citizens due to bad roads, what hope is there for the average Nigerian who plies those same roads every day?” Obi said.

The former Anambra governor ended his statement with a stern call for a shift in leadership culture.

“A New Nigeria cannot and will not be built on excuses. It will be built on the sacrifices, courage, and responsibility of true leaders,” he concluded.

Obi’s comments come amid growing criticism of the federal government’s response to persistent security crises in Benue and other parts of the country.