Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has condemned President Bola Tinubu’s visit to Benue State following the recent massacre of over 200 people in the state, describing the trip as “a carnival, not a condolence.”
In a statement posted on his official X handle on Thursday, June 19, Obi criticised both the President and the Benue State government for turning what should have been a sombre moment of national mourning into a fanfare.
“We pleaded that the President should show leadership and visit Benue and Niger States in the spirit of deep national mourning, to offer compassion and solidarity to families torn apart by the senseless massacre of over 200 innocent Nigerians in Benue State and flooding that killed similar number in Niger State,” he wrote.
Obi said what transpired in Benue was not a display of empathy but one more suited for commissioning a road.
“What we saw in Benue visit was instead of a solemn, reflective visit, a display that would have been more befitting for the commissioning of reconstructed Enugu-Makurdi highway, a critical road connecting South and Northern Nigeria which had become impassable for years,” he stated.
He also took issue with the President’s choice of attire and the conduct of the state government.
“The President arrived not in mourning cloth but in celebratory agbada attire, like it was an occasion for joy,” he said.
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Obi described the presence of schoolchildren who sang and danced in the rain to welcome the President as deeply troubling.
“Even more heartbreaking is the role of the State. Rather than being in mourning mood and weeping, declared a public holiday, not for reflection or prayer, but to organise fanfare. Schools were shut down.
“Children who should be mourning their slaughtered classmates, and parents were instead lined up under the rain, rehearsed to sing and dance for the President. In what kind of country does this happen?” he asked.
According to the former Anambra governor, the entire scene reflected a worrying erosion of national empathy.
“We have tragically arrived at a point where condolence visits have become carnivals. A time that should be marked by silence and solemnity is now polluted by banners, music, and rehearsed spectacles.
“Precious Nigerian lives have been lost, yet we’re clapping, singing, and organizing processions, as though this were a campaign rally,” Obi wrote.
He argued that the resources spent on what he called “a charade” could have been channelled into helping the affected families with basic needs and trauma support.
Obi cited international examples to contrast what he sees as the right way leaders respond to national tragedies.
“Look elsewhere: When President Ramaphosa visited Mthatha after the floods in South Africa, there were no drums. No staged crowds. No rented cheers. Just presence, silence, and action.
“When Prime Minister Modi went to the site of a crash, no one lined up to welcome him. He came, he mourned, he acted. That is what leadership looks like in moments of pain,” he said.
Obi closed his statement with a grim warning about the path Nigeria is on.
“Enough of this culture of impunity. We are not at war yet our nation is bleeding, and we are clapping. It is not only insensitive, it is dangerous,” he said.
“When very sad incidents like this turns to campaign or festival, our Nation Losing Its Soul.”