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Leadership is not measured by volume or intimidation, but by restraint, respect, and adherence to protocol especially in moments of disagreement.
The recent incident involving the Chairman of Ikosi-Isheri LCDA, Princess Samiat Bada, and Hon. Kafilat Ogbara, Member of the House of Representatives for Kosofe Federal Constituency and a member of Nigeria’s National Executive Council, represents a disturbing breach of institutional discipline.
This incident occurred at the Lagos East APC Stakeholders’ Meeting held at CMD, a high-level political forum attended by members of the Governors Advisory Council (GAC) and other senior political leaders. This is not a marketplace for emotional outbursts or personal power display. It is a strategic platform for unity, coordination, and disciplined leadership.
At the heart of this issue is a dangerous confusion between personal emotion and official protocol. Political disagreement is normal. Public humiliation of a sitting federal legislator—particularly one serving at the national executive level—is not. It is an affront to democratic hierarchy and a direct violation of political decorum.
Protocol exists to protect institutions from ego. When a council chairman allows personal emotion or local authority to override respect for a federal mandate, the damage goes beyond individuals. It weakens party cohesion, embarrasses grassroots governance, and diminishes the credibility of our political structure.
Humiliating a Member of the House of Representatives in the presence of party elders and GAC members is not leadership. It is indiscipline.
Discipline in politics is not about punishment alone it is about correction, accountability, and restraint. Grassroots leadership is meant to stabilize the political system, not fracture it. A council chairman should be a bridge between local governance and higher institutions, not a source of avoidable controversy.
Unchecked conduct of this nature creates internal fractures at a time when unity is non-negotiable. As the electioneering season draws closer, internal conflicts only strengthen the opposition. This is not the time for ego battles, public confrontations, or political vendettas.
The way forward is clear: • Immediate reconciliation facilitated by senior party leaders
• Reinforcement of conduct and protocol guidelines for all political office holders
• Renewed respect for elected representatives, regardless of personal or factional differences
Political maturity demands that disagreements be resolved behind closed doors, not on public platforms meant for strategic unity.
The Governors Advisory Council and critical stakeholders must issue a firm but constructive warning:
• Local authority does not supersede federal mandate
• Position does not justify public humiliation of fellow leaders
• Repeated disregard for protocol may attract disciplinary consequences
The council chairman is advised to recalibrate her leadership approach. Power is temporary, but political records are permanent. Today’s actions will determine tomorrow’s relevance.
This incident must serve as a wake-up call to all political office holders. Nigeria’s democracy thrives on respect, hierarchy, and discipline. When personal emotion overrides protocol, governance suffers, unity fractures, and public confidence declines.
As Lagos East approaches decisive political contests, leaders must choose restraint over recklessness, unity over ego, and protocol over personal emotion.
The future of our political structure depends on it.
SB E-news.
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