Posted by Samuel on Tue 30th Dec, 2025 - tori.ng
Speaking on Arise Television’s Morning Show on Tuesday, Abati said that while sycophancy exists in government, Olayinka took it too far.
Arise Television anchor Reuben Abati has criticised Lere Olayinka, media aide to FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, for kneeling before his boss.
Speaking on Arise Television’s Morning Show on Tuesday, Abati said that while sycophancy exists in government, Olayinka took it too far.
“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?
“Look, when we were in government and I say this authoritatively, I was in government, sycophancy was a tradition there, before and after, generally in Nigerian government.
“When people would kneel before President Jonathan, he would tell them, ‘Stand up. Please, I’m not a monarch. Don’t kneel before me.’
“In fact, 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?
“So, for both Wike and his acolytes in the empire that he has created for himself, there is a time limit to all of this,” he said.