Stop Rewarding Flattery With Power

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has urged second-term governors to exercise discernment in choosing their successors, cautioning against decisions driven by blind loyalty or superficial displays of allegiance.

Speaking on Saturday during the commissioning of the first 30-kilometre stretch of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway in Lekki, Lagos, Akpabio warned that selecting a successor solely based on sycophantic gestures — such as kneeling or flattery — could backfire after leaving office.

Drawing from his own experience as a former governor of Akwa Ibom State, he emphasized the importance of continuity anchored in vision and competence. He encouraged governors, particularly those within the All Progressives Congress (APC), to prioritize visionary leadership over political theatrics when planning for the future.

The high-profile event was attended by President Bola Tinubu, Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka, Minister of Finance Wale Edun, Minister of Works Dave Umahi, and several second-term governors including Hope Uzodimma (Imo), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), and Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos).

Akpabio said, “We have a president who has both sight and vision. And this for me is something I must advise our governors, particularly those of them who are in their second term. Do not give power to anybody who is not looking for power.

“Don’t give power to anybody who is not prepared. Don’t go hiding in your heart that this boy is very subservient; he is always kneeling when he is talking to me, his wife is always rolling on the floor, I think I should make this one the governor.

“If you do that, you are giving power to somebody who is not prepared for governance and they will disappoint you. This is where betrayals normally start. I am just trying to give some advice.

“For the progressive governors, I believe that all of you are doing well because you are being led by a man who has both sight and vision.”

In a political landscape riddled with the entrenched culture of godfatherism, outgoing governors in Nigeria often maneuver to handpick their successors — a tactic widely criticized as a veiled attempt to extend their influence and maintain control from behind the scenes. This practice, seen by many as an abuse of political privilege, enables former governors to continue wielding power by proxy through trusted allies or loyal protégés after exhausting their constitutionally mandated eight-year tenure.

While some have succeeded in installing their preferred candidates, the alliance frequently unravels. Once in office, many of these handpicked successors assert their independence, leading to public rifts and political showdowns that expose the fragile foundation of these orchestrated transitions — often between members of the same political party.

Africa Today News, New York