ABUJA, NIGERIA — June 19, 2025 | By IDNN Opposition Watch Desk
Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has launched a scathing critique of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent visit to Benue State, accusing the President and state government of turning a moment of national grief into a carnival of political optics.
“The President arrived not in mourning cloth but in celebratory agbada attire, like it was an occasion for joy,” Obi wrote on X (formerly Twitter) Thursday morning.
The visit came days after more than 200 people were massacred in Yelwata, Guma LGA. Tinubu’s trip included a meeting with stakeholders and a visit to victims at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital.
“A DISPLAY, NOT A CONDOLENCE VISIT”
Obi condemned the declared public holiday, closure of schools, and the use of school children to sing and dance in the rain during Tinubu’s reception.
“Rather than weep, they lined up children—some who had just lost classmates—to rehearse and cheer. What kind of country does this?” Obi questioned.
He argued that such events reflect a collapse of empathy in Nigeria’s political leadership.
“Condolence visits have now become carnivals. When we should mourn, we clap and stage processions,” he wrote.
“NIGERIA IS BLEEDING, AND WE ARE CLAPPING”
Obi compared the event to global best practices in state-led mourning, citing President Ramaphosa’s silent visit to flood victims in South Africa and PM Modi’s respectful appearance at an Indian crash site.
“Those leaders didn’t arrive with banners and rented cheers,” Obi stated.
He added that the resources spent on choreographed welcomes should have been redirected to food, trauma care, and temporary shelter.
A WARNING ON NATIONAL VALUES
Obi said the incident signals a dangerous decline in national conscience.
“When tragic incidents become campaign rallies, Nigeria is losing its soul.”
