The excessively long convoy of President Bola Tinubu which has remained a source of discourse on social media platforms and gatherings of Nigerians is unabating as the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 Presidential election, Peter Obi, joined the fray and called on the President to live by example.
Some Tinubu supporters on social media continued to wonder who stood and counted the cars, while others insisted it was not only the President’s motorcade in the convoy, citing the governor, Police Inspector General and other top Federal and state officials who went to receive the President and tagged along the convoy.
After a sober and religious gathering at St. Faith Cathedral, Church of Nigeria Anglican Communion, Awka, Anambra State on Thursday, during the Burial Mass of the late Dean Emeritus of the Church of Nigeria, the Most Reverend Maxwell Anikwenwa, Obi told journalist who accosted him: “I have not seen the video you talked about, but let me tell you what I have always said: that present Nigeria requires that all those who serve and lead must do so by example.
The video of Obi interview below:
“The behavior, character, and public conduct of those who serve must be in consonance with what society requires today. You can not continue to preach to the people to sacrifice without sacrificing.
Watch video of Tinubu’s convoy:
“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 added, re-echoing the sentiments of Nigerians, including the Sultan of Sokoto, Abubakar Saad recently, that there was a need to cut down on the cost of governance, which has always been his position about governance.
A statement from the Obi-Datti media organisation, noted that not since the creation of Nigeria by the British has such mindless and embarrassing exhibition been purveyed by a politician.
“Not even the military known for their brash and unbridled display of raw naked power dared to exhibit such recklessness.
“The present Nigeria requires that all those who serve and lead must do so by example. Their behavior and their public conduct must be in consonance with what society requires today.
“We can not continue to preach for the people to sacrifice without sacrificing, too. The sacrifice must now start from the leaders, visibly, measurably at all times because the people are suffering; and we must now be at the forefront of the suffering”, Obi said.
Obi’s call for sacrifice by Nigerian leaders is coming about two weeks after Asiwaju Tinubu in a Democracy Day address on June 12, 2023, called on Nigerians to sacrifice more in the wake of the removal of subsidy on petrol by the federal government, which had not only pushed the cost of petrol up but had equally led to skyrocketing prices of goods and services.
“The Obi-Datti Media like millions of Nigerians whose sense of decency have 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.”