Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, has said that former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration was deeply influenced by sycophants, many of whom have now turned against him since he left office.
Speaking in Abuja at the weekend during the 2nd Raymond Dokpesi Diamond Lecture, organised by the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Governor Sule said his experience in governance had shown how flattery can distort sound judgment and weaken leadership integrity.
“By being a governor, I have seen what sycophancy can do. I saw people sit before President Muhammadu Buhari and tell him he was the best ever. But after he left office, those same people turned around to call him one of the worst presidents. That’s what sycophancy is all about,” Sule said.
The event, held at the Nigerian Army Conference Centre in Asokoro, also saw Governor Sule conferred with a Fellowship of the Institute. It attracted top government officials, communication experts, and media professionals who paid tribute to the late media mogul and founder of DAAR Communications, Chief Raymond Dokpesi.
Reflecting on his early political journey, Sule recalled his first attempt to run for governor in 2007 after returning from the United States — an experience he said revealed the “commercial nature” of Nigerian politics.
“At every meeting, they would ask for money, and I would say I had only dollars. They always said that was fine,” he said, drawing laughter from the audience.
He also spoke on his efforts to resolve recurring clashes between farmers and herders along the Nasarawa–Benue border, crediting peace efforts to his decision not to inherit political hostilities from his predecessor, Senator Tanko Al-Makura.
“My father always told me not to inherit enemies. That’s why I led a delegation of traditional rulers to visit Governor Ortom to resolve the issues,” he noted.
Sule praised Al-Makura for supporting his emergence as governor in 2019 while he was still working with the Dangote Group. He pledged lifelong loyalty to his predecessor, contrasting that loyalty with the betrayal faced by Buhari.
“I will forever be grateful to Al-Makura and will never allow political differences to destroy our relationship,” he said.
Paying tribute to the late Dokpesi, Governor Sule described him as a fearless pioneer who challenged government monopoly in broadcasting during the military era.
“Dokpesi was an icon who dared to speak truth to power and expanded the space for free expression in Nigeria,” he added.
In his remarks, NIPR President, Dr. Ike Neliaku, commended Governor Sule for donating land to the institute for its first global Public Relations University in Nasarawa State. He said the project, now at an advanced stage, would serve as a hub for training ethical communicators and transformational leaders.
“The new university will bridge the gap between policy and practice in Nigeria’s communication landscape,” Neliaku said.
The lecture drew participants from government, academia, the media, and civil society, all of whom praised Dokpesi’s legacy of courage, innovation, and advocacy for press freedom.
