Optics Over Empathy – Obi Berates Tinubu, Alia for Politicizing Benue Killings

2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi has sharply criticized the conduct of President Bola Tinubu and Governor Hyacinth Alia during their recent condolence visit to Benue State, describing the event as tone-deaf and shamefully theatrical.

Obi, in a statement issued on Thursday, decried how the president and state officials approached the tragedy in Yelewata, where hundreds were brutally murdered. 

“The president arrived not in mourning cloth but in celebratory agbada attire, like it was an occasion for joy. 

"We have tragically arrived at a point where condolence visits have become carnivals,” he said.

The former governor said the state government’s role was even more troubling. “Rather than being in (a) mourning mood and weeping, declared a public holiday, not for reflection or prayer, but to organise fanfare. Schools were shut down,” Obi noted.

He condemned the forced participation of schoolchildren in the event, remarking, “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?”

Obi criticised the government for prioritising visuals and public relations over genuine compassion. 

“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 organising processions as though this were a campaign rally,” he stated.

He continued, “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.”

Obi concluded that the event was a poor display of leadership and humanity. 

“The energy, resources, and logistics poured into this charade could have gone into food supplies, temporary shelters, medical aid, school support, and trauma counselling for grieving families. Instead, we chose optics over empathy.”

During his visit, President Tinubu instructed security agencies to quell the ongoing violence and called for the establishment of a peace resolution committee to address insecurity in Benue and neighbouring states.