Obi tackles Tinubu over long convoy, asks him to lead by example

Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate for the election in February 2023, responded to the widely shared video of President Bola Tinubu’s lengthy convoy in Lagos on Wednesday by stating that leaders who ask their followers to make sacrifices for a better Nigeria must also set an example for others to follow.

He spoke in light of the outrage being voiced by Nigerians regarding the “outlandish display of power by Asiwaju Bola Tinubu during a recent visit to Lagos State.”

During the funeral Mass yesterday for the late Dean Emeritus of the ministry, the Most Reverend Maxwell Anikwenwa, who passed away at the age of 83, Obi stressed the importance of lowering the cost of governance at St. Faith Cathedral, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), in Awka.

The viral video of the motorcade, which the former governor of Anambra State claimed he had not seen, was nevertheless criticised for being absurd.

He said: “I have not seen the video you mentioned, but let me reiterate what I have always said: In the current Nigeria, everyone who serves and leads must set a good example.

“Those who serve must act in a way that is consistent with the standards set by the modern society in terms of behaviour, character, and public conduct. Without making a sacrifice first, you cannot continue to urge people to make sacrifices.

Since the people are suffering, we must all be at the forefront of the suffering, so the sacrifice must begin with the leaders and be visible and quantifiable at all times.

As he paid tribute to the late cleric, Obi said: “He is not just a pastor of God; he is a great Nigerian who contributed to this country beyond his pastoral work in creating a better Nigeria.

He participates in campaigns for improved governance, a better Nigeria, and other causes. I am not surprised by the number of people attending (this) burial ceremony today because he was a great Nigerian and Igbo man.

In a statement released by the Obi-Datti media outlet, Diran Onifade recalled that more than two weeks prior, during his Democracy Day speech, the President had urged Nigerians to make even greater sacrifices in response to the removal of the fuel subsidy, which had not only increased the price of petrol but also caused higher prices for other goods and services.

The following is an excerpt from the statement: “The Obi-Datti Media, like many Nigerians whose sense of decency has been offended by Asiwaju Tinubu’s unbridled tendency to flaunt power and position, joins our presidential candidate in pointing the hypocrisy inherent in Tinubu’s action.

“For a man, who promised to cut the cost of governance, to be moving around with an over-bloated convoy of security details and aides, speaks volumes of his ‘do what I say and not what I do’ attitude,” the author writes.