Veteran journalist and Arise TV anchor, Dr. Reuben Abati, has criticised Lere Olayinka, media aide to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, for kneeling before his principal in what he described as “sycophancy taken too far.”
Abati made the remarks on Tuesday during a segment on The Morning Show, where he expressed disappointment over the viral video showing Olayinka kneeling before Wike during a public event.
“Think of the very high point of it: when our good friend came and knelt down trying to serve the master. What is all this?” Abati questioned, visibly annoyed by the optics.
Reflecting on his time in public service, Abati stated that while sycophancy was not new in Nigerian governance, it should never be encouraged. He recalled how former President Goodluck Jonathan discouraged such acts: “When people would kneel before President Jonathan, he would tell them, ‘Stand up. Please, I’m not a monarch.’”
He continued, “I saw people crawling. This is how they behave. But Lere Olayinka maybe understands the game better than some of us, so he will kneel down and serve the master. But to what end?”
Abati warned that such excessive displays of loyalty only reinforce a dangerous culture of personality worship in politics.
He also took a swipe at Wike, saying that for both the minister and “his acolytes in the empire he has created,” the clock is ticking.
The video has since stirred reactions online, with many Nigerians accusing political aides of trading dignity for proximity to power.
Daily Post
