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History is always a guide for those in leadership positions. That’s why power reveals. When a leader gets enough power, then we can see how he always wanted to treat people. You can see that by watching what he does with that power, and what he wanted to accomplish all along. In the annals of Greek mythology, Icarus’ tale is a poignant warning against the perils of overreaching ambition. Its signature is lack of humility and hubris. It’s a pattern that every leader, politician, needs to be concerned about. Ignoring the Icarus tale has felled many leaders who planned grandly but failed miserably by overestimating their knowledge, foresight and ability.
Mythology, folktales and even Biblical stories are full of warnings against excessive pride, in other words,hubris. ln Literature, the figure of Captain Ahab in Herman Melville ‘Moby Dick’ and Satan in John Milton’s ‘Paradise Lost’ illustrate the dark themes of vanity, ambition, power, insolence and disdain. We also see the Icarus syndrome among contemporary political and business leaders. But let’s talk about Nigerian politicians.
Though he received no notable awards as a businessman, Alhaji Asiwaju Amoda Ogunlere’s forays into politics earned him several honours for good governance, administrative performance, and infrastructure initiatives in his state fondly called ‘Centre of Excellence. That’s where the positives end.
His success got into his head. He felt he deserved all the recognition. Extreme pride took the better part of him. He became a godfather of sorts. His gang of advisers and hangers-on began to see him as a demigod, a political master strategist who can make someone from nothing to grace. You must have his endorsement if you must become somebody in politics. This drove him to make his boldest move yet- a shoot at the highest office in the land – the presidency of Nigeria. But his lack of humility made him to see the office as his turn(‘Emilokan’). He got the power he desperately wanted. But he soon forgot that power is like a bikini – it reveals more than it can hide – and that without a vision beyond one’s own advancement, a leader is almost paralysed once the goal has been achieved. Nigerians have woken up to the reality that the man they entrusted the affairs of the country has become a liability. He will remain infamous, regardless of the outcome of the next election, that his presidency left Nigeria and the people worse than he met it. But he continues to live in denial.Recently, he claimed that the present hunger and poverty in the land had been there before he came to power.
In other words, that there’s nothing he can do, forgetting leaders who sought for office and got it are to solve problems of immediate sort confronting the country and the people.That’s the real test of leadership. But not this man in the saddle. And you ask: what’s wrong with him? The man has ignored the Icarus’ warning. That’s why everything about him- his parental background, academic record and many more – have come under a huge blanket of suspicion. The puerile defence by one of his Ministers is that “great men don’t attend primary and secondary school”. That’s the worst illogical, senseless you can get from an urchin, much more from a seasoned lawyer with the highest professional, legal accolade to his name. If all of this is a portrayal of President Bola Tinubu, that’s why the Icarus story is a perfect metaphor for political overreach. “Don’t fly too close to the sun”, Icarus father Daedalus warned him. He ignored the poignant warning. He got his wings burnt. This is a reference to a reckless defiance of one’s limitations. Many politicians have caused their own downfall and melt in the Icarus’ trap when their seeming success makes them feel invincible. They lost touch with reality. It’s about extreme pride and overconfidence. It’s a timeless reminder that ambition without caution can lead to disaster. The steps downhill for leaders who ignore the Icarus’ warning follow these traits: first is dangerous hubris. As some politicians gain power and public adoration, they often begin to believe they are untouchable. This extreme arrogance blinds them to their vulnerabilities. Besides, just as Icarus ignored his father, many politicians ignore their advisers who warn them against risky policies or corrupt actions. In some cases that abound in Nigeria, advisers to the president are complicit in the untoward behaviour of the president. That’s why some leaders overstretch their power or authority – such as overstepping legal boundaries or misusing public funds – leading to sudden political ruin. Unfortunately, most of these traits are evident in many of our present political leaders, in particular, President Tinubu. For example, didn’t President Tinubu remove remove subsidy on petroleum products without any backup plan, not minding the loss of public support? What has he done in the past three years through public consultation before implementation?
That’s why his administration and himself continue to be enmeshed in a series of scandals. It’s because he thinks he’s invincible, would never be caught. These are interesting times for the president. In all his political career, he has faced a series of allegations and controversies. Some of them remain disputed, while others are subject of court proceedings, at home and abroad, tepid official responses, or media probe.
Few examples have surfaced. Apart from controversy over his parental background, claims are in public domain about the photograph used in various documentaries and autobiographical materials of Tinubu’s life story, childhood, education, political journey and achievements in public and private sectors. It was all aimed at promoting his presidential qualities ahead of the 2023 election. Now, the cookies are crumbling. Former Governor of Cross River state and presidential candidate of the People’s Redemption Party in the 2027 election, Donald Duke is screaming that his childhood photograph when he was a 12- year old student at Federal Government College, Sokoto, was used to represent ‘young Tinubu’ in television documentaries in 2022/2023, and also unloaded in YouTube channels.
Feeling pained, Duke lamented,”I am the boy in the picture, not Tinubu as they claimed in their documentaries. I don’t know if I can get justice on this, but I feel pained that a 12-year old is being used for political reasons”. Similarly, claims have surfaced that the individual in the photograph claimed to be Tinubu’s NYSC year belonged to one Mr. Olamide Kayode, 52. These allegations against Tinubu, if true, remain the lowest, most deceitful and cravenly self-inflicted embarrassment by a leader. It debases the office of the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
In any case, what hasn’t this government devalued in the last three years? That’s how low Nigeria has become under Tinubu presidency. Again, it boils down to the Icarus syndrome where a leader places excessive confidence in his own judgment, harbouring feelings of omnipotence, becoming reckless and restless, displaying contempt for the advice and criticism of others, and ignoring the practicality , cost or damaging consequences of his untoward behaviours. Imagine if Peter Obi or Atiku Abubakar was caught in the web of the scandals President Tinubu is alleged to have been involved in, the country would have been on fire by now.
Perhaps that’s why Tinubu is the master strategist, the “Abami Eda”, the invincible, untouchable, too-big -to-fail” politician. But history teaches that such invincibility doesn’t last forever. If in doubt, read the downfall of Napoleon Bonaparte, Adolf Hitler, Saddam Hussain, King Philip II of Spain, and Richard Nixon. Just as Icarus flew too close to the sun and fell to his own down because of hubris and overreach, Nixon, 37th US President after achieving significant political success, developed a deep paranoia and a belief that the president was above the law. That led to the break-in of the Democratic National Committee Headquarters at the Watergate Complex. As the scandal unraveled, leading to mounting criminal charges against him and top aides, Nixon resigned. That may not be possible in Nigeria, but a leader can suffer catastrophic downfall after ignoring his own limits.
