Sh*cking Democracy Day Twist: Pro-Tinubu Rally Erupts Hours After Massacre In Benue
As Nigeria marked its annual Democracy Day—a day meant to celebrate freedom, justice, and the power of the people—Benue State offered a jarring display of just how fragmented the nation’s reality can be.
In Makurdi, the state capital, two sharply contrasting stories unfolded within hours of each other.
On one side, young people and women took to the streets under the banner of “Pro-Tinubu/Alia Support Groups,” chanting slogans and waving banners in support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Hyacinth Alia. Their rally was filled with optimism and calls for continuity in governance, even hinting at second-term ambitions for the current administration.
On the other side—quietly and painfully—residents in nearby communities were still reeling from fresh attacks by armed herdsmen. Just the night before, villages like Mtsewnem and Akondutyough were brutally raided. Lives were lost, homes were destroyed, and scores of families were left traumatized or mourning. The Benue State University Teaching Hospital has since issued an urgent appeal for blood donations to save the lives of the injured.
🔍 A Tale of Two Realities
How do you celebrate leadership while bodies are still being counted?
That’s the uncomfortable question many Nigerians, particularly in Benue, are now asking. Critics of the pro-government rally are not just questioning the timing—they’re questioning the values it reflects. Is it tone-deaf to hold a political praise march while victims of violence are barely hanging on in hospital wards?
This isn’t just a case of clashing narratives. It’s a deeper reflection of the disconnect between political support and lived experience. For every person waving a flag at a rally, there is someone else waving down a motorbike to get a bleeding relative to a hospital. For every chant of “four more years,” there’s a quiet prayer at a funeral.
🧠 Context: Benue and the Herdsmen Crisis
Benue State has long been a hotspot in Nigeria’s growing conflict between herders and farming communities. Known as the “Food Basket of the Nation,” the state has suffered countless attacks over the past decade, often attributed to armed Fulani herdsmen. The consequences have been dire: mass displacement, food insecurity, economic downturn, and widespread trauma.
Despite public outcries and promises of security reforms, many residents feel abandoned. The frequency of the violence, and the lack of consistent justice or protection, has deepened the public’s distrust in government at all levels.
🤔 What Does This Mean for Nigeria’s Democracy?
Democracy is more than just elections and public holidays. It’s about representation, accountability, and responsiveness to the people’s needs. When leaders are praised while citizens bleed, it raises the question: who exactly is being served?
The pro-Tinubu/Alia rally may have been intended to boost morale or demonstrate loyalty, but its juxtaposition with fresh bloodshed paints a troubling picture. Democracy Day should be a moment of national reflection—a reminder that governance must prioritize people over politics.
📝 Final Thoughts
Benue’s Democracy Day wasn’t just a day of celebration—it was a day that exposed the fractures in Nigeria’s democratic experiment. While some danced in the streets, others cried in the hospitals. And until those two realities are reconciled, true democracy may remain out of reach.
The story of June 12 in Benue State is not just about a rally—it’s about the soul of the nation, and the urgent need to align political rhetoric with real action for the people.
