The Hubris of Power: When a Minister Mistakes Political Office for Deity – Otunba Babatunde Olushola Senbanjo

By Otunba (DR) Babatunde Olushola Senbanjo (BOS)

In the theatre of Nigerian politics, confidence is necessary, and boldness is often rewarded. However, a thin, treacherous line separates self-assurance from unbridled arrogance, and leadership from authoritarianism. Currently, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, appears to be testing the very limits of public patience, adopting a political demeanour that suggests he views his authority not as a temporary civic trust, but as a permanent, absolute decree.
For years, Wike built a reputation as a fierce political fighter—a man whose aggressive style kept his party afloat during turbulent times. But the same fiery disposition that once served as political armour has increasingly transformed into a weapon of public alienation. From public administration to civil interactions, the Minister’s recent conduct reveals a growing hubris that borders on a “demi-god” complex, drawing widespread condemnation from civil society, religious bodies, and everyday citizens alike.
A prime example of this escalating posture occurred during the controversy surrounding land administration at Jabi Lake in Abuja. When a female cleric knelt publicly to plead for a reconsideration of the project, Wike’s reported responses drew sharp rebukes from the Northern Christian Association, which cautioned him against using political authority to make offensive remarks that undermine both public sensibilities and reverence for the divine. To speak or act as though one holds the ultimate power of destiny over citizens is a dangerous departure from democratic governance.

Political authority is granted by the people and permitted by God; it is never a mandate to play God.
This pattern of behaviour extends far beyond policy disagreements into public altercations with state institutions. His highly publicised, confrontational exchange with a military officer drew intense criticism from public affairs commentators and civil organisations, who noted that a minister’s duty is to uphold institutional legal procedures, not to engage in roadside intimidation or publicly humiliate personnel executing their chain of command.

When a public servant treats state security apparatuses or television anchors with imperious disdain, it erodes the very dignity of the office he occupies.
Furthermore, political commentators have frequently pointed out a glaring lack of political gratitude in Wike’s trajectory.

Over his career, he has publicly clashed with, insulted, or dismissed nearly every major mentor and elder statesman who aided his rise to prominence—from former governors to national party leaders. This habit of burning bridges with reckless rhetoric indicates a dangerous belief that he stands entirely alone, self-made and untouchable.
History is replete with warnings for leaders who forget their mortality and mistake temporary political leverage for permanent sovereignty. In a true democracy, power resides with the citizens, and political appointments exist strictly at the pleasure of the executive and the patience of the electorate.

No leader, no matter how influential or well-connected, rules forever.
Minister Wike would do well to recall that the ultimate marker of enduring statesmanship is humility, not defiance. When public officials begin to speak and act as if they are above accountability, they invite their own political irrelevance.

It is time for the FCT Minister to lower his tone, respect the institutions of the republic, and remember that in the grand scheme of governance, he is a servant of the people, not a deity.