The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr Peter Obi, has reacted to the trending video of President Bola Tinubu’s long convoy saying the president cannot be telling Nigerians to sacrifice while he is not living by example.
He was reacting to the criticisms that trailed the president’s long convoy of about 100 vehicles when he visited Lagos on Wednesday to celebrate last Thursday’s Sallah where he was joined by hundreds of other Muslims to say the Eid prayer at the Obalende Eid Prayer Ground in the state.
Speaking yesterday at St. Faith Cathedral, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Awka, Anambra during the burial mass of the late Dean Emeritus of the ministry, the Most Reverend Maxwell Anikwenwa, Obi told Tinubu that sacrifice must stem from the leaders.
“You cannot continue to preach to people to sacrifice without sacrificing. The sacrifice must start now from the leaders, visibly, measurably at all times, because the people are suffering,” he said.
Although the LP leader said he had not seen the viral video of the motorcade, he insisted that the country’s present situation requires leadership by example.
“I’ve been asked questions related to cutting down the cost of governance and the complaints by Nigerians concerning a trending motorcade video.
“I have not seen the video you talked about, but let me tell you what I have always said: The present Nigeria requires that all those who serve and lead must do so by example.
“The behaviour, character and public conduct of those, who serve, must be in consonance with what society requires today. You cannot continue to preach to the people to sacrifice without sacrificing.
“The sacrifice must start with the leaders, visibly, measurably at all times, because the people are suffering, and we must all be at the forefront of the suffering,” he said.
Later, a statement from the Obi-Datti media organisation, signed by Mr. Diran Onifade, recalled that over two weeks ago, the President, in his Democracy Day address, called on Nigerians to sacrifice more in the wake of the removal of subsidy on petrol, which had not only pushed the cost of petrol up, but also led to high prices of goods and services.
“The Obi-Datti Media like millions of Nigerians, whose sense of decency has been affronted 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, surely speaks volumes of his ‘do what I say and not what I do’ attitude,” the statement said.
