According to an interview with The Sun On Saturday, August 23, 2025, Former Lagos State Deputy Governor, Alhaja Sinatu Ojikutu, has cautioned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu against what she described as the destructive influence of political sycophants, warning that excessive praise has derailed past Nigerian leaders.
Speaking on the state of the nation, Ojikutu reflected on the administrations since 1999 and noted that former President Olusegun Obasanjo began his tenure with high expectations but eventually fell short. According to her, sycophancy was a major factor that undermined his government.
“When former President Olusegun Obasanjo was there, we thought he was going to turn things around for the nation but he didn’t live up to expectation. Sycophancy was one of his undoing,” she said.
She explained that constant praise from people around Obasanjo turned him into “what he is not,” and that the same pattern repeated itself with his successors.
Turning to the current administration, Ojikutu expressed concern that President Tinubu is already being surrounded by individuals who exaggerate his stature and mislead him. “The same thing is happening to our present leader, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. These sycophants are almost equating him to God,” she warned.
The former deputy governor urged Tinubu to be cautious and resist the “antics of unpatriotic elements” so as not to derail his presidency. She further lamented that democracy in Nigeria, rather than easing the burdens of citizens since 1999, has become a source of hardship because of leadership failures compounded by such influences.
Find Verified News At Your fingertips Click The Button Below
