Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State has criticised the widespread culture of political sycophancy in Nigeria, revealing that many of those who praised former President Muhammadu Buhari while he was in power later turned against him once he left office.
Speaking at the 2nd Raymond Dokpesi Diamond Lecture organised by the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) in Abuja, Governor Sule said he personally witnessed politicians who once hailed Buhari as “the best ever” quickly switch their stance after his tenure ended.
“By being a governor, I have seen what sycophancy can do,” Sule said. “I have seen people sit in the presence of President Buhari and tell him, ‘Oh, you are the best ever. Nobody can do this better.’ But the minute Buhari left government, they started saying, ‘Oh, he was one of the worst presidents we ever had.’ These are the same people, but different moments. That is what sycophancy is all about.”