The Minute Buhari Left Govt, They Said He Was One Of The Worst Presidents – Governor Sule Says
Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, has stated that former President Muhammadu Buhari was surrounded by sycophants who flattered him during his time in office but later abandoned him after he left power.
Sule, who spoke on Saturday at the 2nd Raymond Dokpesi Diamond Lecture organised by the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) in Abuja, recalled witnessing firsthand how politicians shifted their stance depending on the moment.
Sule said, “By being a governor, I have seen what sycophancy can do. I have seen people actually sit in the presence of President (Muhammadu) Buhari to tell him, ‘Oh, you are the best ever. Nobody can do this better.’
“But the minute Buhari left government, they started saying, ‘Oh, he was one of the worst presidents we had ever seen.’ These are the same people but different moments. That is what sycophancy is all about.”
The governor, who was honoured with an NIPR award and fellowship at the event, also paid tribute to the late media mogul, Chief Raymond Dokpesi, for pioneering private radio and television broadcasting in Nigeria during the military era.
“We are here to celebrate an icon of media. Dokpesi was not afraid to speak truth to power, even during difficult times,” he added, noting that his courage reshaped Nigeria’s media space at a time when “nearly everything was controlled by government.”
In his remarks, NIPR President, Dr Ike Neliaku, commended Governor Sule for donating land to the institute to establish the first global Public Relations University in Nasarawa State.
Neliaku disclosed that work on the project was already at an advanced stage.
According to him, the institution will serve as a “knowledge hub” for grooming ethical communicators, transformational leaders, and development-oriented thinkers, bridging the gap between policy and practice in Nigeria’s public relations landscape.
The event, held in honour of the late DAAR Communications founder, attracted top government officials, media professionals, and communication experts, who paid glowing tributes to Dokpesi’s legacy of courage and innovation.