Presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, said President Bola Tinubu’s failure to visit Angwan Rukuba during his Thursday visit to Plateau State points to a “complete absence of leadership”.
Obi said this in a Friday statement shared on Facebook.
Tinubu visited Plateau on Thursday to commiserate with victims of the Angwan Rukuba attack that claimed 27 lives on Palm Sunday.
During his visit, the president held a town hall meeting with political and traditional leaders at the Yakubu Gowon Airport, Heipang, near Jos.
However, the president has faced criticism for failing to conduct a physical tour of the affected community.
Obi said, “During his visit to Benue State in June 2025, Bola Ahmed Tinubu stopped at the Government House but did not go to the actual scene where innocent Nigerians lost their lives.
“Similarly, yesterday in Jos, his engagement ended at the airport instead of at the affected communities.
“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. For citizens who have just lost loved ones, homes, and their sense of safety, being addressed from an airport tarmac is profoundly inadequate.”
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) chieftain noted that 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 argued that Plateau required urgent action and a clear commitment to ending the insecurity that continues to claim innocent lives.
“In such moments, leadership must not only be visible but also tangible—standing with victims, listening to survivors, and acknowledging the depth of their grief.
“If we truly desire a better Nigeria, we must demand leadership that is present, responsive, and responsible at all times,” Obi stressed.
