By Aare Amerijoye DOT.B.
I just listened to Dr. Reuben Abati’s incisive commentary and his analysis of Nyesom Wike, the minister of FCT and former governor of Rivers State on ARISE TV morning Programme.
I find myself in total agreement. His insights resonate deeply with our current political realities. Indeed, I am in complete tandem with his position.
Hubris, in classical Greek philosophy and literature, refers to excessive pride or self-confidence, especially when it defies moral or divine boundaries. It is an affliction that often precedes a tragic downfall.
In politics, hubris is not merely an attitude; it is a dangerous intoxication with power, marked by contempt for norms, disregard for hierarchy, and disdain for consequences.
Abati’s commentary, in which he accuses Wike of being “rude and disrespectful” to his political predecessor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, a former minister of transport and former governor of Rivers State and even predicts the possibility of a similar attitude toward President Bola Tinubu, is more than a personal rebuke, it is a sharp diagnosis of hubris in action.
Whether one agrees with Abati’s prognosis or not, the underlying concern reflects an age-old warning: when leaders begin to believe they are above decorum, beyond hierarchy, and immune to humility, they become political liabilities, to both their allies and the institutions they represent.
Wike’s trajectory, marked by fiery rhetoric, public outbursts, and relentless confrontations with real or perceived adversaries, may be viewed by admirers as fearless assertiveness. But to discerning observers, it teeters on the brink of insolence and self-aggrandisement, the classic hallmarks of hubris.
If Amaechi, the very man who once ushered Wike into national relevance, can be cast aside so brazenly, then it suggests that no alliance is sacred and no political bridge is secure.
Abati’s caution suggests something more than personality politics, it speaks to a systemic danger: a disregard for institutional memory, a betrayal of loyalty, and a performative defiance that threatens the integrity of even the most delicate coalitions.
In this context, hubris is not just arrogance, it is a political appetite that devours even the hands that feed it.
Philosophers throughout history have warned of such afflictions. Aristotle once declared that “the greatest crimes are not committed out of necessity, but from hubris.”
Plato, in The Republic, insisted that those who govern must be ruled by reason and humility, not passion and pride.
When politics becomes theatre and defiance is elevated above diplomacy, as some view in Wike’s conduct, the results are not only destabilizing but dangerous, especially in a fragile polity such as ours.
History is replete with cautionary tales. From Julius Caesar to Napoleon, from local warlords to modern populists, those who ascend on waves of charisma and confrontation often plummet in storms of their own making.
In Nigeria’s current political landscape, where alliances are fleeting and egos inflated, hubris can be both a ladder and a guillotine.
Unless Wike recalibrates, Abati’s concern may prove prophetic. In politics, the higher one soars on the wings of unchecked pride, the louder the crash when those wings melt. And melt they always do.
Hubris is not strength, it is a mask for insecurity. It alienates, isolates, and ultimately obliterates. A wise politician must learn that loyalty, humility, and respect, even when strategically deployed,are currencies far more enduring than bravado.
If Wike is to remain politically relevant in the long term, he must temper his defiance with diplomacy, lest he becomes a casualty of the very storm he stirs.
Aare Amerijoye DOT.B. Director General The Narrative Force.
