Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his decision to visit Benue State following the recent massacre in Yelwata, but called on the President to also extend the same compassion to victims of devastating floods in Mokwa, Niger State.
In a post on his verified X handle on Tuesday, Obi said Tinubu’s upcoming visit to Benue on Wednesday is a welcome move, describing it as “reassuring and uplifting” for grieving communities. However, he insisted that the President should also show equal concern to other parts of the country experiencing tragedies.
“For this I thank him even as I make further request that similar gesture should be extended to Niger State that lost more number of human lives in a natural disaster, flood recently,” Obi wrote.
He pointed out that over 200 people were confirmed dead and more than 1,000 missing after severe flooding hit the Mokwa area of Niger State, calling the scale of loss “not just statistics, but the lives of Nigerian families torn apart and their communities destroyed.”
Obi also noted that both Benue and Niger states had lost over 200 lives each to recent tragedies and urged the President to act with urgency and compassion, rather than delay such visits.
Highlighting proximity, he said:
“Abuja to Makurdi is about 282 km and Abuja to Mokwa is about 287 km. Combined, that’s roughly 1,134 km for a round trip to both locations.”
He compared this to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who recently travelled 1,870 km round trip to personally visit flood victims in Mthatha where fewer than 100 people died.
“If the South African President could do it, we trust that you, as our own President, can do the same for your people,” Obi added.
He concluded by urging Tinubu to send a strong message that “all Nigerian lives matter” and to step up security, especially in disaster-prone areas, calling for a shift from “leadership by remote control” to one rooted in compassion and direct action.
