Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), has called for the release of Naomi Silekunola, the former queen of the Ooni of Ife and organiser of the funfair that led to the stampede in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Earlier, The New Daily Prime reported that Naomi, along with seven others, was arrested following the stampede at a funfair held at Basorun Islamic High School in Ibadan.
The incident resulted in the death of 35 children. Naomi was hospitalised after her arrest.
In a statement shared on his X page yesterday, Obi expressed that the ex-queen should not be vilified for her humanitarian efforts, even if the funfair unintentionally led to the unfortunate incident.
He emphasised that the event was initiated to ease the hardships faced by the people and provide relief.
The 63-year-old further stated that accountability for such tragedies should start with the leaders and policymakers whose collective actions—or inactions—have exacerbated the suffering and hardship in society.
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“It is the systemic failure of governance, not the efforts of well-meaning individuals, that should be scrutinized”, the Anambra-born politician said.
Obi stressed that Nigerian leaders must come together to reassess the nation’s direction and prioritise policies and actions that improve citizens’ lives.
He also called for a shift in focus toward building a system where no citizen is left struggling for necessities.
“In doing so, we can begin to rebuild trust and ensure that tragedies like these are not repeated. While still in mourning mood over the precious lives lost due to tragic incidents stemming from the distribution of palliatives.
“I am deeply pained that such occurrences are a reflection of the severe hunger and poverty currently ravaging our nation. My heartfelt condolences go to the affected families, communities, and states.”
