'No leadership without compassion' - Peter Obi blasts Tinubu for addressing Jos victims at the airport

In a post on his X account on April 3, 2026, Mr. Peter Obi described President Tinubu's visit to the victims of the terrorist attack in Jos as lacking in compassion, as the president elected to restrict his engagement to the airport.

Obi, who ran for the Presidency under the Labour Party in 2023, stated that the President's visit highlights a complete lack of leadership and increases the sense of abandonment already felt by innocent Nigerians who have endured repeated cycles of violence.

"Leadership Without Compassion is Not Leadership

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.

This approach exacerbates the sense of abandonment already felt by innocent Nigerians who have endured repeated cycles of violence without meaningful protection or justice. Plateau deserves more than distant words; it requires 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."

On April 2, 2026, President Tinubu visited Jos after a terrorist attack left at least 40 dead at the Angwa Rukuba community in the state. Tinubu's visitation quickly took a controversial turn after the President addressed the victims and stakeholders at the airport rather than traveling into the city to meet with them and assess the situation as expected.

Heavy criticism followed this decision, which was described as a lack of concern for the victims. On April 3, 2026, Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to the President on Information & Strategy, issued a statement on X explaining why the president couldn't travel into the city. Onanuga pointed out that the lack of power at the airport meant that Tinubu's plane couldn't depart the Jos airport runway at night, and the 40-minute drive into the city would have made departure impossible.