Leader of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and its 2023 presidential candidate, Prince Adewole Adebayo, has alleged that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s visit to Benue State over the recent killings in the state was trivialised and reduced to politics.

The SDP chieftain described the town hall meeting during Tinubu’s visit as “sickening,” noting that Nigerians must be serious about the way they tackle important issues.

Writing in his official X handle, Adebayo said: “Our entire governmental doctrine and leadership mentality in Nigeria needs a thorough revamp, and our people desperately need mental liberation. How could the emphasis be on the 2027 election and little on the sadistic massacre?”

He took exception to President Tinubu’s emphasis on his sacrifice to visit Benue instead of addressing the leadership lapses that led to such wanton destruction of innocent lives.

He said: “The bulk of the speech is on the sacrifice @officialABAT had to make to promptly respond to the killing, instead of critical questions about the failure of leadership and breach of the constitutional duty to secure the citizens. No observer would believe that the people of this great state have just suffered a dastardly and gruesome massacre merely a few days ago.”

He also berated the traditional rulers in the affected areas for their insensitivity to the plight of their subjects. He noted that rather than grieve over the unfortunate incident, the traditional rulers were busy endorsing Tinubu for a second term in 2027.

“That the traditional rulers felt that they had to pledge their ‘massive support’ for @officialABAT in the 2027 election on this sombre occasion is both pathetic and undignified. I could not believe my eyes and ears. The political elite’s deterioration seems irredeemable. A new direction is inevitable; May God help Nigeria. We need to bid farewell to poverty and insecurity in Nigeria,” he stated.