The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has advised outgoing governors not to choose submissive or unprepared individuals as their successors ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Akpabio gave the advice on Saturday during the commissioning of the first 30 kilometres of the Lagos Calabar Coastal Highway in the Lekki area of Lagos State.
He warned that governors who select successors based on loyalty or personal subservience risk betrayal after leaving office.
According to him, choosing a successor simply because such a person appears obedient or deferential is a dangerous mistake.
Akpabio urged governors, especially those serving their second term, to focus on vision, capacity, and preparedness when deciding who should take over from them.
He said leaders who hand over power to individuals who are not ready for the responsibilities of governance often end up disappointed.
“We have a president who has both sight and vision. This is something I must advise our governors, particularly those in their second term. Do not give power to anybody who is not looking for power. Do not give power to anybody who is not prepared,” Akpabio said.
He added, “Don’t go hiding in your heart that this boy is very subservient, he is always kneeling when he is talking to me, his wife is always rolling on the floor, and I think I should make this one the governor. If you do that, you are giving power to somebody who is not prepared for governance, and they will disappoint you. This is where betrayals normally start.”
The event was attended by Tinubu, Nobel Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka, the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, and the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi.
Also present were Governors Hope Uzodimma of Imo State, Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State, and Babajide Sanwo Olu of Lagos State.
