Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State said over the weekend that former President Muhammadu Buhari’s government was weakened by the influence of sycophants who surrounded him while in power, only to turn against him after he left office.
Speaking at the Second Raymond Dokpesi Diamond Lecture organized by the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) in Abuja, Mr. Sule reflected on the perils of flattery in leadership, warning that praise-singing often blinds those in authority to reality.
“I have seen what sycophancy can do,” Mr. Sule said during the event, held at the Nigerian Army Conference Centre, Asokoro. “People would sit before President Muhammadu Buhari and say, ‘You are the best ever.’ But when he left office, those same people called him one of the worst presidents we ever had. The same people—different times. That’s what sycophancy is all about.”
Mr. Sule, who was also conferred with a Fellowship of the Institute at the event, spoke before an audience that included senior government officials, communication scholars, and media executives. The gathering paid tribute to the late Chief Raymond Dokpesi, founder of DAAR Communications and pioneer of private broadcasting in Nigeria.
The governor, reflecting on his own political journey, recalled his early attempt to run for governor in 2007 after returning from the United States — a campaign he said exposed him to the “murky side” of Nigerian politics.
“At every meeting, they would ask for money,” he said with a laugh. “I told them I had no naira, only dollars. They said, ‘That’s okay!’”
Mr. Sule also spoke about his approach to resolving the long-standing border disputes between farmers and herders along the Nasarawa–Benue line, noting that he deliberately avoided inheriting the animosities that once existed between his predecessor, Tanko Al-Makura, and former Benue governor, Samuel Ortom.
“My father always told me never to inherit enemies,” he said. “So I led traditional rulers from Nasarawa to visit Governor Ortom, and together we resolved many of the issues.”
The governor credited his eventual rise to power in 2019 to the encouragement of Mr. Al-Makura, who convinced him to join the race while he was working with the Dangote Group.
“Having seen what happened in 2007, I was cautious,” Mr. Sule recalled. “But Al-Makura promised to take care of every issue I raised—and he did. I will forever be grateful to him.”
Contrasting that loyalty with what he described as the betrayal faced by Mr. Buhari, Mr. Sule said he would never allow politics to damage his relationship with his political mentor.
The governor also praised Mr. Dokpesi as “a fearless media pioneer who challenged government monopoly during the military era” and whose legacy, he said, would continue to inspire journalists and communicators.
NIPR President, Dr. Ike Neliaku, commended Mr. Sule for donating land in Nasarawa State for the institute’s planned Public Relations University, which he said was now at an advanced stage. The institution, he added, would serve as a global hub for ethical communication and leadership development.