Senate President Godswill Akpabio has issued a strong warning to governors, particularly those in their second terms, urging them to resist the temptation of handing power to loyalists who are not prepared for governance.
Speaking during the inauguration of the first 30-kilometre phase of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, Akpabio emphasised that leadership must be earned through readiness and vision, not flattery or obedience.
The event was attended by President Bola Tinubu; Wole Soyinka, nobel laureate; Wale Edun, minister of finance; Dave Umahi, minister of works; Hope Uzodimma, Imo governor; Dapo Abiodun, Ogun governor; Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos, and other dignitaries.
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kpabio, a former governor of Akwa Ibom state, said outgoing governors must resist the temptation to appoint “sycophants” as successors, noting that such actions often lead to betrayal after they leave office.
“We have a president who has both sight and vision,” Akpabio said.
“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 country where the culture of godfatherism pockmarks the political space, outgoing governors often seek to influence who becomes their successors, a move that critics and commentators have lampooned as extended power control by former governors who try to rule their states by proxy through cronies and loyalists after serving their constitutionally allowed term limit of eight years.
Some former governors have succeeded in planting their loyalists in power, but such political romance doesn’t last long in some cases, as embarrassing fallouts have been recorded between serving governors planted by their predecessors, usually their party men.
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