Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, has reacted to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s decision to visit Benue State on Wednesday, following the brutal killing of over 200 people in Yelewata village over the weekend.
Describing the development as “refreshing news,” Obi thanked the President for finally deciding to visit the affected community. He, however, urged Tinubu to extend the same gesture to Niger State, where devastating floods recently claimed more than 200 lives in Mokwa, with over 1,000 people still missing.
“It was refreshing news on Monday to a bewildered nation learning that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has finally decided to visit the scene of the brutal killings in Benue State. For this, I thank him,” Obi said in a statement. “I make a further request that a similar gesture should be extended to Niger State, which lost a greater number of lives in a natural disaster.”
The Labour Party leader emphasized that the President’s physical presence in both “devastated and grieving communities” would offer reassurance to affected citizens and reinforce the value of every Nigerian life.
“These are not just statistics; they are the lives of Nigerian families torn apart and their communities destroyed,” Obi stated.
He called on the President to visit Mokwa to send a clear message that “no community, no matter how rural, is forgotten.”
Obi also urged the federal government to strengthen security and emergency response systems, especially in areas prone to conflict and natural disasters.
Meanwhile, President Tinubu is expected in Benue on Wednesday, where he will meet with traditional rulers, political leaders, religious figures, community elders, and youth groups as part of efforts to restore peace in the region. He had earlier expressed condolences to the victims’ families and rescheduled an official visit to Kaduna to prioritize the Benue crisis.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres also condemned the killings, calling for the perpetrators to be brought to justice.
