Peter Obi has hailed President Bola Tinubu for his decision to finally visit Benue, which has been plagued with violence and massacre.

Yelewata, in Benue, recently witnessed a massacre that left hundreds of people dead.

“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,” said Mr Obi in a statement on Tuesday. “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.”

Previously, Mr Obi had berated Mr Tinubu as a president lacking character and competence.

In his Tuesday statement, the opposition politician reiterated the need for the president also to visit Mokwa in Niger.

“The presence of the president in these devastated and grieving communities will be very reassuring and uplifting. Both Benue and Niger states have lost over 200 lives each due to recent tragedies.

“In Mokwa alone, more than 200 people were confirmed dead, and over 1,000 are still missing following the floods. These are not just statistics; they are the lives of Nigerian families torn apart and their communities destroyed,” the Labour Party politician explained.

Citing South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who visited a flood-ravaged community to commiserate with victims, Mr Obi urged Mr Tinubu to imitate the South African leader and provide leadership for the country.

“If the South African president could do it, we trust that you, as our own president, can do the same for your people. Let your visit to Mokwa send a strong message that all Nigerian lives matter and that no community, no matter how rural, is forgotten. Please also consider stepping up security across the country, especially in disaster-prone areas,” Mr Obi said.

He added, “We look forward to seeing not leadership by remote control but proactive leadership that responds not just with words, but with compassion and action.”

Mr Obi’s statement followed Mr Tinubu’s announcement that he would visit Benue after global outrage.

Over the weekend, hundreds of people were killed in Yelewata in Guma LGA, sparking global outrage as Mr Tinubu kept quiet on the incident 24 hours after it happened.