RismadarVoice Reporters, April 3, 2026
The Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Peter Obi, has criticized President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over his handling of a condolence visit to Plateau State following recent deadly attacks.
Obi, in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday, faulted the President for meeting victims at the Jos Airport instead of visiting the affected communities, describing the move as a demonstration of poor leadership and lack of compassion.
He argued that true leadership demands physical presence, empathy, and direct engagement with people at the point of their suffering, especially during moments of crisis.
“What happened in Plateau yesterday highlights a complete absence of leadership. True leadership requires presence, empathy, compassion, and a willingness to meet people where their pain truly lies,” Obi said.
“For citizens who have just lost loved ones, homes, and their sense of safety, being addressed from an airport tarmac is profoundly inadequate,” he added.
The former Anambra State governor also referenced a similar visit by President Tinubu to Benue State in 2025, where he claimed the President did not visit the actual scene of an attack. According to Obi, such actions reinforce a sense of abandonment among affected communities.
“This approach exacerbates the sense of abandonment already felt by innocent Nigerians who have endured repeated cycles of violence without meaningful protection or justice,” he stated.
Obi stressed that Plateau State deserves more than “distant words,” calling for urgent and decisive actions to end the recurring violence in the region.
“Plateau deserves more than distant words; it requires urgent action and a clear commitment to ending the insecurity that continues to claim innocent lives,” he said.
He further urged leaders across the country to demonstrate responsiveness and a firm commitment to addressing insecurity.
The criticism comes amid controversy over President Tinubu’s recent visit to Jos, where he met victims of the attack at the airport.
The Presidency had earlier explained that logistical constraints, including the lack of navigational aids for night operations at the Jos Airport, made it impracticable for the President to travel into the affected communities and return safely before dusk.
However, critics maintain that the decision reflects a disconnect from the realities faced by victims.
The latest violence in Plateau State occurred on Palm Sunday in the Angwan Rukuba area of Jos North Local Government Area, where gunmen reportedly killed at least 27 people and injured several others.
The attack is part of a recurring pattern of communal and sectarian clashes that have long plagued Plateau State, often linked to ethnic, religious, and land-related tensions.
